South East Asia

Modern Thailand occupies much of the Indochinese peninsula in South-East Asia. It is bordered by Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Burma. From the twelfth century onwards Thais expanded outwards, predominantly southwards into the Malay-Thai peninsula. State-building swiftly followed in Early Thailand to create a patchwork of kingdoms and minor principalities.

Nakhon Si Thammarat was originally known as Ligor. This Theravāda Buddhist principality in the Malay peninsula was located on the east coast of the isthmus of Kra, in what is now southern Thailand. It was situated to the north of Kedah, Patani, and other Malay states.

The state's Sanskrit name is Nagara Śrī Dharmarāja, meaning 'city of the glorious, righteous king', and its core city remains occupied to this day. Its denizens tend to shorten the name simply to 'Nakhon', a name which first began to appear in the fifteenth century AD.

Sukhothai under Ramkenhaeng (Rama 'the Great') conquered the Tambralinga state about 1279 and subsequently established Nakhon Si Thammarat as a the new principality, although they referred to it as Ligor. The old name of Tambralinga often continued to be applied to the new state, although records covering its history are patchy at best.

It was founded as a Thai vassal and would remain so until 1438 when it managed to achieve independence until Ayutthaya reasserted Thai controls in the sixteenth century. With the establishment of the new kingdom and dynasty, Theravāda Buddhism replaced Hinduism as the predominant religion.

When the Burmese destroyed Ayutthaya in 1765, the kingdom broke up into five parts. In the farthest north, today's north-eastern Thailand, was Sawangburi which was ruled by a chao or 'prince' named Phra Fang. To the south and west of Sawangburi, in today's western-central Thailand, was Phitsanulok which was ruled by Rueang Rojanakun.

To the south of Phitsanulok, in today's south-western Thailand, was the largest piece of the former kingdom in the form of Thonburi which was ruled by a phaya (or 'king') by the name of Taksin. To the east of Phitsanulok and Thonburi, in today's central Thailand, was Phimai which was governed by Prince Thepphiphit. On the Malay peninsula in today's southern Thailand, to the south of Thonburi, was Nakhon Si Thammarat which was ruled by Phrachao Kahttlyarachanikom.

Siam established a restoration of central control in 1782 and formally annexed Nakhon Si Thammarat in 1896, although the royal line in Nakhon continued until 1901. Finally, in 1909, as the British were sorting out the boundaries of its Malay possessions, they formally recognised Siam's sovereignty over the principality.

Over the course of its history Nakhon Si Thammarat's princes held a series of titles, each usually a slight variation of the previous title. This series begins and ends with chao phraya Nakhon Sri Thammarat ('prince-king of Nakhon'). The modern city of Nakhon Si Thammarat is the commercial centre of the region, as well as being surrounded by rich agricultural resources and mineral deposits.

Far East Kingdoms

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