The Thai people established their own states in the early 20th century, with the Ayutthaya kingdom showing itself to be the most dominant for a time. The states were all constantly threatened by the Khmers, Burma, and Vietnam, not to mention the presence of the French and British who were vying for colonies in Southeast Asia at the time.

Sukhothai Period (1238–1438) In 1238 a Tai chieftain, Sri Intraditya, declared his independence from Khmer overlords and established a kingdom at Sukhothai in the Chao Phraya Valley in central Thailand. The people of the central plain took the name Thai, which means “free,” to distinguish themselves from other Tai people still under foreign rule.

Language. Thailand's official language is Thai, a tonal language from the Tai-Kadai family of East Asia. Thai has a unique alphabet derived from the Khmer script, which is itself descended from the Brahmic Indian writing system. Written Thai first appeared around 1292 A.D.

In Battle of Nong Sa Rai. (1593), in Southeast Asian history, military encounter between the Tai (Thai) kingdom of Ayutthaya and the Toungoo dynasty of Myanmar (Burma) which put an end to the aggression that had been waged intermittently by Myanmar. Read More.