Bangkok
Early times
Thais migrate from southern China to present Thailand in the 11th and 12th centuries.
17th century
King Narai welcomes foreign diplomats, traders and missionaries who are astonished at the size and opulence of his capital Ayutthaya.
19th century
King Rama III reopens Siam to foreign influences. King Mongkut (Rama IV)-fictionalized in The King and I-sends diplomats to England and France and offers Abraham Lincoln a pair of elephants to help fight the Civil War. Mongkut's son, Rama V, abolishes slavery and establishes schools, a museum, a national library, and Siam's first post office.
