Siam

Siam is the historical name used for the kingdom that is today known as Thailand. It is a country in Southeast Asia, located on the central Indochina peninsula. It is bordered by Myanmar to the west and north, Laos and Cambodia to the east, and Malaysia to the south, with coastlines on the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. Its capital and largest city is Bangkok, a major political and economic center.

Etymology and naming: The term Siam is an exonym that appeared in Western languages. The Thai name of the country, Prathet Thai, translates as “Land of the Free.” In 1939 the government officially renamed the country Thailand, a change that was briefly reversed after World War II and then made permanent in 1949; Siam remains a historical name and a familiar reference in many contexts.

History: The region was the heartland of powerful early kingdoms, notably Sukhothai (c. 1238–1438) and Ayutthaya (1350–1767). After Ayutthaya’s fall, Bangkok rose as the capital in 1782 under Rama I. From the late 19th century, rulers such as Chulalongkorn (Rama V) pursued modernization and reform. The 1932 revolution transformed the system from absolute to constitutional monarchy. The 20th century saw periods of reform, conflict, and economic development, including military interventions and constitutional changes in recent decades.

Government and society: Thailand is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system and a king as head of state. The population is predominantly Thai Buddhist, with ethnic and cultural diversity. The Thai language is the official national language.