1. 1782-Present By: William D.

2.  - Beginning of the Chakri dynasty under King Rama I. The country started out as Siam. The capital is Bangkok.

3.  Siam changes its name to Thailand ("Land of the Free").

4.  King Ananda assassinated.  - Military coup by the wartime, pro- Japanese leader Phibun Songkhram. The military retain power until 1973.

5.  Student riots in Bangkok bring about the fall of the military government. Free elections are held but the resulting governments lack stability.

6.  Government collapses. Banharn Silpa- archa, of the Thai Nation party, elected prime minister.

7.  Asian Financial Crisis.  The baht falls sharply against the dollar, leading to bankruptcies and unemployment.  Chuan Leekpai becomes prime minister.

8.  War begins with two rebel groups of Thailand and Burma.  Burma closes boarder to Thailand.  After battles subside, the boarder is reopened in October.

9.  Thousands of people are killed when a Tsunami hit the South West Coast of Thailand.

10.  Thailand tries to fight Bird Flu, as new outbreaks surface.

11.  Military leaders stage a bloodless coup while Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is at the UN General Assembly.  Retired General Surayud Chulanont is appointed as interim prime minister in October.

12.  The First draft of a new constitution is approved by a committee appointed by the military administration.  In May, voters in a referendum approve a new, military-drafted constitution.

13.  An elected parliament convenes for the first time since the military seized power in September 2006.

14.  Return to civilian rule. Samak Sundaravej is sworn in as prime minister.

15.  Sixteen killed and hundreds injured in Thailand's worst anti-government protests in 16 years.

16.  Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat is forced from office by a Constitutional Court ruling that disbands the governing People Power Party for electoral fraud and bars its leaders from politics for five years.  Abhisit Vejjajiva becomes new Prime Minister.

17.  " BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Country profiles | Timeline: Thailand." BBC NEWS | News Front Page. 03 Feb. 2009 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia- pacific/country_profiles/1243059.stm. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia- pacific/country_profiles/1243059.stm  "Timeline: Thailand." AEGiS Site Map. 03 Feb. 2009 http://www.aegis.org/news/bbc/2001/BB010805.html http://www.aegis.org/news/bbc/2001/BB010805.html