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| 3. Siam |
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| Early in the 11th century, Dvaravati (See Mainland Southeast Asia) was annexed to Cambodia; Haripunjaya retained its independence. In the 13th century, Haripunjaya was overrun by a migration of Tai, or Shan, peoples from the north. | 1 |
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| 1281 |
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| Tai leader Mangrai (1239–1317) conquered the kingdom of Haripunjaya at Lamphun. For two decades he fought Mongols who were threatening Tais from the north. He is known as the founder of the kingdom of Lan Na, centered at Chiengmai, with cultural contributions influenced by Buddhist thought. | 2 |
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| 1279–98 |
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| Ramkamhaeng ruled over the kingdom of Sukothai, which he extended from Vientiane in the east to Pegu in the west. Most important contributions were in areas of literature, sculpture, and religion; these developments strongly influenced Tai cultural attainments as well. | 3 |
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| 1350 |
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| Migration of Tai, or Shan, accelerated by the Mongol conquest of the Tai state of Nan-chao (in modern Yünnan and southern Szechwan) in 1253, led eventually to the suppression of the Khmer kingdoms and the setting up of the Tai kingdom of Siam, with its capital at Ayuthia, founded by Rama Tiboti. The early Siamese state was from the first under the influence of both Hinayana Buddhism and Chinese political institutions. The location of the Siamese state at a center of maritime commerce gave it a distinct advantage in its power struggle with Angkor. The ability to adopt the Angkorian-style administrative skills of the Mons and Khmers, the martial skills of the Tais, and the wealth and commercial skills of the local Chinese merchant communities was its legacy to the Tais' cultural development. Toward the end of the 13th century, a form of writing had been invented for the Siamese language. | 4 |
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| 1350–1460 |
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| Siamese invasion of Cambodia finally led to the abandonment of Angkor (1431) and collapse of the Khmer Empire. | 5 |
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| 1371 |
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| A Siamese embassy at Nanking inaugurated tributary relations with the newly founded Ming dynasty. | 6 |
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| 1376–1557 |
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| Intermittent friction between Siam and the Tai state of Chiengmai in the northern Menam Valley ended with the destruction of Chiengmai by the Burmese. | 7 |
| During the 14th and 15th centuries, strong Siamese influence was exerted over the disunited states of Burma and the northern part of the Malay Peninsula. (See Siam (Ayutthaya)) | 8 |
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