kingdom · Mainland Southeast Asia

Thailand

1932 CE – present · capital Bangkok

The only Southeast Asian state never colonised, a constitutional monarchy since 1932 whose politics have swung between elected governments and military rule.

Origins

The revolution of 24 June 1932 by the Khana Ratsadon, led by Pridi Banomyong and Plaek Phibunsongkhram, ended absolute monarchy in the Rattanakosin Kingdom and introduced a constitution. In 1939 Prime Minister Phibun changed the country's name from Siam to Thailand.

Rule and society

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy with Bangkok as its capital and Buddhism as the main faith. Phibun allied with Japan in the Second World War. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who reigned from 1946 to 2016, became a powerful unifying figure. Military coups, including in 1947, 1957, 1976, 1991, 2006 and 2014, have repeatedly interrupted civilian rule. A Cold War ally of the United States, it grew into a leading exporter of rice, cars and electronics and a major tourist destination.

To the present

Thailand continues today under King Vajiralongkorn. It was a founding member of ASEAN in 1967. Recent decades have been marked by political divisions, an insurgency in the Malay-Muslim south, and protests over the role of the military and monarchy.

Lineage

Rattanakosin Kingdom 1782 CE – 1932 CEThailand

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Thailand. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/thailand
MLA
“Thailand.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/thailand. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Thailand.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/thailand.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Thailand’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/thailand (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻