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After 400 years of being one of Asia’s most powerful empires, the Kingdom of Ayutthaya was finally overrun by Burmese troops in 1767. Though the Burmese were expelled within a year, Ayutthaya was deemed unsafe as a capital and General Taksin chose Thonburi as the new capital of Siam (now Thailand).

Just 15 years later, a rebellion against Taksin’s autocratic rule led to his demise. He was succeeded by General Chao Phraya Chakri who established the Chakri Dynasty and acquired the official title of Rama I. On assuming the throne, his first action was to move the capital east across the river to Bangkok.

After living 27 years as a monk, King Mongkut acceded to the throne and became Rama IV of the Chakri Dynasty. He is regarded by Thais as the man who began to modernize Siam, particularly through treaties that opened the country to trade with the West.

Chulalongkorn, son of Rama IV, succeeded his father as Rama V of the Chakri Dynasty when he was only 15 years old. He ruled for over 40 years and is credited with keeping Siam free from the clutches of colonial powers such as England and France, which were carving up Southeast Asia at the time.

Rama V carried on his father’s programme of modernization of the country, and in 1893 the country’s first railroad line opened, stretching just 14 miles (22 km) to Pak Nam, where the Chao Phraya River flows into the Gulf of Thailand. The line was later extended to the south, north, and northeast of the country.

The absolute power of the Siamese monarchy was ended by a bloodless coup in 1932 that brought the military to power. Though the monarchy continued to be respected, the stage was set for a string of coups and counter coups that dominated the politics of Thailand for the rest of the century.

After the death of his brother King Mahidol, who was shot in the head while in bed, King Bhumibol Adulyadej took the throne as Rama IX. He continues to rule as the world’s longest-reigning monarch.

Thais demonstrated publicly their displeasure following a military coup in 1992. After the army gunned down many citizens on the streets of Bangkok, Rama IX intervened, resulting in the self-proclaimed Prime Minister, General Suchinda Kraprayoon, making a hasty exit and democracy being restored.

After a decade of booming economic growth, the bubble finally burst when banks and finance companies revealed a string of bad debts. Businesses collapsed and a massive loan from the International Monetary Fund stabilized the economy.

Thailand’s self-styled “CEO leader” Thaksin Shinawatra swept to power in 2001 as head of the Thai Rak Thai party, inspiring people with his business acumen. However, he was ousted for corruption in yet another military coup in September 2006.