Thailand - The Royal Cities of Asia

The Book

Sukhothai, the first independent Thai kingdom, was established on the north-central Thai plains in the mid-13th century. King Ramkhamhaeng, the dynasty's most illustrious ruler, presided over a kingdom which was rich in both material and cultural terms, and which was destined to displace the faltering Khmer Empire from the region. Meanwhile, further to the north, Ramkhamhaeng's friend and ally, King Mangrai, founded the city of Chiang Mai, destined to become the capital of the Kingdom of Lan Na, or "One Million Rice Fields". Together Lan Na and Sukhothai represent the earliest royal Thai kingdoms, moreover today both remain in remarkable states of preservation.

The Author

Andrew Forbes graduated in Chinese Studies from the University of Leeds before going on to complete an MA in Islamic Studies and a Ph.D in Central Asian History. He has been involved in Thai Studies for more than 25 years, and has an intimate knowledge of the country. Dr Forbes has written several books on Thailand, as well as contributing Thailand-related articles to the Journal of the Siam Society, Asian Wall Street Journal and Far Eastern Economic Review amongst other regional publications.