Editing Thailand (section)

=== Rattanakosin Kingdom and modernization (1782 –1932) ===
{{Main|Rattanakosin Kingdom}}

{{multiple image
| perrow            = 1/2
| total_width       = 270
| caption_align     = center
| align             = right
| title             = [[Rattanakosin Kingdom]]
| image1            = Siam 1900 V2.png
| caption1          = Detailed map of Siam's provinces, vassals, and monthons in 1900
| image2            = Emerald Buddha, August 2012, Bangkok (cropped).jpg
| caption2          = [[Emerald Buddha]] in [[Wat Phra Kaew]]. Considered the sacred palladium of Thailand.
| image3            = King and Tsar.jpg
| caption3          = [[Chulalongkorn]] with [[Nicholas II]] in Saint Petersburg, 1897
| caption4          = Siamese territory and dominion at its largest in 1805, resulting from the [[Burmese–Siamese War (1802–1805)]]
| image4            = Siamese Territory and Dominion in 1805.jpg
}}

Under [[Rama I]] (1782–1809), Rattanakosin successfully defended against Burmese attacks and put an end to Burmese incursions. He also created suzerainty over large portions of Laos and Cambodia.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nolan |first=Cathal J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FMJ8KP8i3v0C&pg=PA1653 |title=The Greenwood Encyclopedia of International Relations: S-Z by Cathal J. Nolan |publisher=Greenwood Publishing |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-32383-6 |access-date=21 November 2015 |archive-date=28 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328150813/https://books.google.com/books?id=FMJ8KP8i3v0C&pg=PA1653 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1821, Briton [[John Crawfurd]] was sent to negotiate a new trade agreement with Siam – the first sign of an issue which was to dominate 19th century Siamese politics.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hwa |first=Cheng Siok |year=1971 |title=The Crawford Papers – A Collection of Official Records relating to the Mission of Dr. John Crawfurd sent to Siam by the Government of India in the year 1821 |journal=Journal of Southeast Asian Studies |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=324–325 |doi=10.1017/S0022463400019421|doi-broken-date=1 November 2024 }}</ref> Bangkok signed the [[Burney Treaty]] in 1826, after the British victory in the [[First Anglo-Burmese War]].<ref name="Wyatt 2013" />{{rp|281}} 

[[Anouvong]] of Vientiane, who mistakenly held the belief that Britain was about to launch an invasion of Bangkok, started the [[Lao rebellion (1826–28)|Lao rebellion]] in 1826, which was suppressed.<ref name="Wyatt 2013" />{{rp|283–5}} Vientiane was destroyed and a large number of [[Lao people]] were relocated to [[Khorat Plateau]] as a result.<ref name="Wyatt 2013" />{{rp|285–6}} Bangkok also waged [[Siamese–Vietnamese wars|several wars]] with [[Tây Sơn dynasty|Vietnam]], where Siam successfully regained hegemony over Cambodia.<ref name="Wyatt 2013" />{{rp|290–2}}

From the late 19th century, Siam tried to rule the ethnic groups in the realm as colonies.<ref name="Wyatt 2013" />{{rp|308}} In the reign of [[Mongkut]] (1851–1868), who recognised the potential threat Western powers posed to Siam, his court contacted the [[Government of the United Kingdom|British government]] directly to defuse tensions.<ref name="Wyatt 2013" />{{rp|311}} A British mission led by Sir [[John Bowring]], Governor of [[British Hong Kong|Hong Kong]], led to the signing of the [[Bowring Treaty]], the first of many [[Unequal treaty|unequal treaties]] with Western countries. This, however, brought trade and economic development to Siam.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2004 |title=Ode to Friendship, Celebrating Singapore – Thailand Relations: Introduction |url=http://www.a2o.com.sg/a2o/public/html/online_exhibit/odetoFriendship/html/Introduction/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070303000031/http://www.a2o.com.sg/a2o/public/html/online_exhibit/odetoFriendship/html/Introduction/index.htm |archive-date=3 March 2007 |access-date=24 April 2007 |publisher=National Archives of Singapore}}</ref> The unexpected death of Mongkut from [[malaria]] led to the reign of underage King [[Chulalongkorn]], with [[Somdet Chaophraya Sri Suriwongse]] (Chuang Bunnag) acting as regent.<ref name="Wyatt 2013" />{{rp|327}}

Chulalongkorn ({{Reign|1868|1910}}) initiated centralisation, set up a privy council, and abolished slavery and the [[corvée]] system. The [[Front Palace crisis]] of 1874 stalled attempts at further reforms.<ref name="Wyatt 2013" />{{rp|331–3}} In the 1870s and 1880s, he incorporated the protectorates up north into the kingdom proper, which later expanded to the protectorates in the northeast and the south.<ref name="Wyatt 2013" />{{rp|334–5}} He established twelve ''krom'' in 1888, which were equivalent to present-day ministries.<ref name="Wyatt 2013" />{{rp|347}} The [[Franco-Siamese War|crisis of 1893]] erupted, caused by French demands for Laotian territory east of Mekong.<ref name="Wyatt 2013" />{{rp|350–3}} 

Thailand is the only Southeast Asian state never to have been colonised by a Western power,<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 September 2006 |title=King, country and the coup |work=The Indian Express |location=Mumbai |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/king-country-and-the-coup/13140/0 |url-status=live |access-date=3 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514225625/http://www.indianexpress.com/news/king-country-and-the-coup/13140/0 |archive-date=14 May 2011}}</ref> in part because Britain and France agreed in 1896 to make the [[Chao Phraya]] valley a [[buffer state]].<ref>[http://treaties.fco.gov.uk/docs/fullnames/pdf/1896/TS0005%20(1896)%20C-8010%201896%2015%20JAN,%20LONDON%3B%20DECLARATION%20BETWEEN%20GB%20AND%20FRANCE%20WITH%20REGARD%20TO%20THE%20KINGDOM%20OF%20SIAM%20AND%20OTHER%20MATTERS.pdf ''Declaration between Great Britain and France with regard of the Kingdom of Siam and other matters''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170331025152/http://treaties.fco.gov.uk/docs/fullnames/pdf/1896/TS0005%20(1896)%20C-8010%201896%2015%20JAN,%20LONDON%3B%20DECLARATION%20BETWEEN%20GB%20AND%20FRANCE%20WITH%20REGARD%20TO%20THE%20KINGDOM%20OF%20SIAM%20AND%20OTHER%20MATTERS.pdf |date=31 March 2017}} London. 15 January 1896. Treaty Series. No. 5</ref> Not until the 20th century could Siam renegotiate every unequal treaty dating from the Bowring Treaty, including [[extraterritoriality]]. The advent of the ''monthon'' system marked the creation of the modern Thai nation-state.<ref name="Wyatt 2013" />{{rp|362–3}} In 1905, there were unsuccessful rebellions in the ancient [[Patani (historical region)|Patani]] area, Ubon Ratchathani, and Phrae in opposition to an attempt to blunt the power of local lords.<ref name="Wyatt 2013" />{{rp|371–3}}

The [[Palace Revolt of 1912]] was a failed attempt by Western-educated military officers to overthrow the Siamese monarchy.<ref name="Wyatt 2013" />{{rp|397}} [[Vajiravudh]] ({{Reign|1910|1925}}) responded by propaganda for the entirety of his reign,<ref name="Wyatt 2013" />{{rp|402}} which promoted the [[Thaification|idea of the Thai nation]].<ref name="Wyatt 2013" />{{rp|404}} In 1917, Siam [[Siam in World War I|joined the First World War]] on the side of [[Allies of World War I|the Allies]].<ref name="Wyatt 2013" />{{rp|407}} In the aftermath, Siam had a seat at the [[Paris Peace Conference, 1919|Paris Peace Conference]] and gained freedom of taxation and the revocation of extraterritoriality.<ref name="Wyatt 2013" />{{rp|408}}