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The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand

Volume XVI-2024 (Special Issue)

It took a century for the Ayutthaya Kingdom to grow into a magnificent royal state and a central

power in the region under the rule of King Borommatrailokkanat.
During this, King Tilokaraj of the Mangrai Dynasty (1441-1487), the King of Lanna, based in

Chiang Mai, was also a powerful ruler. Both kings, whose title meant “Ruler of the Three Worlds,”
ruled for over 40 years, but despite a 30-year conflict between them, neither was able to

defeat the other. King Borommatrailokkanat had to stay in Phitsanulok, rather than in Ayutthaya,
to confront the king of Lanna. He is credited with establishing a strong, centralized ruler, ruling

system, the legal system, and a feudal control structure that would remain in place for centuries.
While King Tilokaraj of the Lanna Kingdom ruled from Chiang Mai, smaller cities in the

region, such as Lampang, Lamphun, Prae, Nan, and others, still have their own local rulers.
During this time in the early years of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, established by King Ramathibodi I,

the kingdom was able to unify Lavo and Suphan. Later, King Borom Rachathirat I (1370-1388),
also known as Khunluang Pha Ngua, the third monarch of the Suphan Dynasty, consolidated

control over the Lavo kingdom. This allowed the Suphan dialect to have a greater influence on
the Thai language, than the language of the Lavo kingdom.

Khunluang Pha Ngua also expanded Ayutthaya territory by conquering Sukhothai, making it
a part of his kingdom. His nephew, Lord Nakhon Inthara of Suphanburi, ascended to the throne,

fully securing power for the Suphanaphum dynasty over the U-thong dynasty. His youngest son,
King Borom Rachathirat II, also known as King Samphraya, became the eighth king of Ayutthaya.

He successfully captured Phra Nakhon (Angkor), the Khmer capital, bringing it into his kingdom
along with scholars, advisors, and artists. The Suphannaphum dynasty ruled Ayutthaya until

the first fall of the kingdom in 1569, when King Mahinthrathirat was defeated by the Burmese.
When King Intharacha was still a crown prince, he visited Nanjing, China, to meet with the

emperor of the Ming dynasty. Later on, while he was King, he welcomed the impressive fleet
from the Chinese empire, commanded by the famous Chinese admiral, Zheng He, just before

he seized power from King Ramrachathirat, the last monarch of the U-thong dynasty. Zheng He’s
fleet consisted of 200 ships, far larger than those of Columbus.

The interaction fostered, a strong Chinese–Thai relationship, Ayutthaya become a key
maritime city. However, there are historical reports that the Chinese requested that Thailand

refrain from taking over Malacca. This detail, which was not previously known to the lecturer,
highlights the complex nature of historical interactions between the two nations.

The southern part of Thailand has been part of the Thai state since the early days of
Ayutthaya kingdom. At that time, there were no independent kings in the region, only Phraya

Nakhon Si Thammarat. Meanwhile, the northeastern, and the northern regions were incorporated

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