Earliest clues of a civilisation within Thailand’s present borders are found at the World Heritage site of Baan Chiang in the Isarn region, which unearthed some of the best preserved pre-historic pottery yet discovered. The first modern inhabitants of the area where the Mons, part of the Thai-Kadai group (sharing a common language set) that migrated south from upper Asia as early as the 6th century AD. Between the 8th and 12th century a definite Lavo culture flourished in Lopburi, establishing the earliest city which would later become influenced by the rise of the region’s first super-power - the Khmers. Thailand’s first proper Kingdom came about in the North when the Lanna Kingdom rose to prominence and flourished from the late 13th century. Chiang Mai was its capital, along with several other centres which are some of the most historical cities in Thailand today , including Chiang Saen and Lamphun. During this period Sukhothai, to the south, developed into a thriving civilisation regarded by local historians as the Golden Age of Thai history (15th and 16th centuries), and the wealth and flourishing of artistic expression is magnificently preserved today in this extensive World Heritage site historical park. By that time it hosted representative from Portugal, France and Britain. Today the ruins of Ayuthaya are one of the highlights of Thailand. The Siamese regrouped under General Taksin who moved the capital to the west side of the river where Bangkok stands today and established the Ratanakosin reign. Power was regained, control of the North was wrestled from the Burmese and Siam flourished. Trade began with the West, with Bangkok emerging as the Kingdom’s first modern city. Unfortunately he was followed by ineffectual rulers and the winds of democracy of the era resulted in a bloodless coup that set up a constitutional monarchy in 1932. Thailand capitulated to the Japanese under a puppet regime in World War Two, earning it a costly bill in war reparations afterwards, which left it economically weak. The country floundered under a series of military rulers and endless coups, tacitly supported by the Americans seeking a stable right-wing partner in the Vietnam war. Such coups and undemocratic governments lead to bloody protests in 1973, 1976 and 1992, and on each occasion the resulting uproar forced the military governments to step down in the face of undemocratic rule. Meanwhile, during these heady decades the country joined other Asian tigers in rapid growth, with Thailand boasting one of the world’s fastest growing economies for several decades. With the arrival of mass tourism, a proper constitution (1997) and civilian governments, the country has prospered enormously, moving from an agricultural based economy to one of industrial production and high export. Although the Asian Financial Crash in 1997, which started in Thailand, hurt the country tremendously, it has recovered well and shown economic maturity. | 
