Thailand's political history : from the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767 to recent timesUpplaga 1

"Thailand's Political History discusses developments in the Siamese state during the past two-and-a-half centuries. The fall of the old capital Ayutthaya provides the opening scene while the book ends with the massive investments in a modern infrastructure and the concomitant economic expansion at the close of the 20th century." "Among the topics discussed are taxation foreign trade and Chinese immigration. Three periods of crisis are dealt with in some detail: the confrontation with France in 1893, the military coup of 1932 and its aftermath and Thailand's role during World War II." "The author draws mainly upon contemporary sources, some of them hitherto overlooked, which lead him to bring forward fresh insights into Thailand's history during the past 250 years."--BOOK JACKET.