Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [40]
1868 At the age of 15, Chulalongkorn, the oldest son of Rama IV, becomes the fifth king of the Chakri dynasty upon the death of his father.
1893 After a minor territorial dispute, France sends gunboats to threaten Bangkok, forcing Siam to give up most of its territory east of the Mekong River; Siam gains much of its modern boundaries.
1910 Vajiravudh becomes the sixth king of the Chakri dynasty after the death of his older brother; he fails to produce a male heir during his reign.
1917 Founding of Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University, the country’s first Western-style institute of higher education; today the university is still regarded as the most prestigious in the country.
1932 A bloodless coup transforms Siam from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy; the deposed king, Rama VII, remained on the throne until his resignation three years later.
1935–46 Ananda Mahidol, a grandson of one of Rama V’s ‘major’ wives, is appointed king; he spends most of his reign abroad and it ends abruptly when he is found shot dead in his room under mysterious circumstances.
1946 Pridi Phanomyong, one of the architects of the 1932 coup, becomes Thailand’s first democratically elected prime minister; after a military coup, Pridi is forced to flee Thailand, returning only briefly one more time.
1951–63 Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat wrests power from Phibul Songkhram, abolishes the constitution and embarks on one of the most repressive and authoritarian regimes in Thai history.
1962 America’s involvement in the Indochina War leads to massive economic and infrastructural expansion of Bangkok; dissatisfaction with the authoritarian Thai government leads to a period of Communist insurgency.
1973 Large-scale student protests in Bangkok lead to violent military suppression; 1971 coup leader Thanom Kittikachorn is ordered into exile by Rama IX; Kukrit Pramoj’s civilian government takes charge.
1981 General Prem Tinsulanonda is appointed prime minister after a military coup and is largely able to stabilise Thai politics over the next eight years.
1985 Chamlong Srimuang is elected mayor of Bangkok; three years later, after forming his own largely Buddhist-based political group, the Palang Dharma Party, he is elected mayor again.
1992 Street protests led by Chamlong Srimuang against 1991 coup leader Suchinda Kraprayoon lead to violent confrontations; both Chamlong and Suchinda are publicly scolded by Rama IX, leading to Suchinda’s resignation.
1997 Thailand devalues its currency, the baht, triggering the Asian economic crisis; massive unemployment and personal debt, and a significant crash of the Thai stock market, follow.
1999 The BTS Skytrain, Bangkok’s first expansive metro system, opens in commemoration of Rama IX’s 6th cycle (72nd) birthday; the system is currently in the process of being expanded.
2001 Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand’s richest man, is elected prime minister on a populist platform in what some have called the most open, corruption-free election in Thai history.
2003 A three-month crackdown on drugs initiated by the Thaksin government leads to the violent deaths of more than 2,500 people.
3 July 2004 The MRT, Bangkok’s first underground public transport system is opened; an accident the next year injures 140 and causes the system to shut down for two weeks.
9 June 2006 Thailand celebrates the 60th anniversary of its Rama IX’s ascension to the throne. The Thai king is currently the longest-serving monarch in the world.
19 September 2006 A bloodless coup sees the Thai military take power from Thaksin while he is at a UN meeting in New York; he remains in exile.
19 August 2007 In a nationwide referendum, voters agree to approve a military-drafted constitution, Thailand’s 17th, despite the constitution being regarded by many Thais and international observers as deeply flawed.
23 December 2007 A general election sees the Thaksin-allied People’s Power Party gain a significant number of seats in parliament. A coalition, led by veteran politician Samak Sundaravej, is formed.