Editing History of Thailand (section)

==Sukhothai period (1238–1438)==
{{main|Sukhothai Kingdom|Lan Na}}
{{multiple image|perrow=2/1|total_width=300|caption_align=center
| title = Sukhothai Kingdom
| image1 = Southeast Asian history - 13th century.png|caption1=Spheres of influence in mainland Southeast Asia, end of 13th century CE.
| image2 = Wat Si Chum in Sukhothai.jpg|caption2=Phra Achana, Wat Si Chum, Sukhothai Historical Park.
| image3 = Sukhothai Historical Park.jpg|caption3=The ruins of Wat Mahathat, [[Sukhothai Historical Park]].
}}
Thai city-states gradually became independent of the weakened [[Khmer Empire]]. It is said that the [[Sukhothai Kingdom]] was established as a strong sovereign kingdom by [[Sri Indraditya]] in 1238 AC. A political feature which "classic" Thai historians call "father governs children" existed at this time. Everybody could bring their problems to the king directly, as there was a bell in front of the palace for this purpose. The city briefly dominated the area under King [[Ram Khamhaeng]], who tradition and legend states established the [[Thai alphabet]], but after his death in 1365, Sukhothai fell into decline and became subject to another emerging Thai state, the [[Ayutthaya Kingdom]] in the lower [[Chao Phraya River]] area.

Another Thai state that coexisted with Sukhothai was the eastern state of [[Lan Na]] centred in [[Chiang Mai]]. King [[Mangrai]] was its founder. This city-state emerged in the same period as Sukhothai. Evidently, Lan Na became closely allied with Sukhothai. After the Ayutthaya Kingdom had emerged and expanded its influence from the Chao Phraya valley, Sukhothai was finally subdued. Fierce battles between Lan Na and Ayutthaya also constantly took place and Chiang Mai was eventually subjugated, becoming Ayutthaya's [[vassal]].

Lan Na's independent history ended in 1558, when it finally fell to the Burmese. It was dominated by Burma until the late-18th century. Local leaders then rose up against the Burmese with the help of the rising Thai kingdom of [[Thonburi]] of King [[Taksin]]. The "Northern City-States" then became vassals of the lower Thai kingdoms of Thonburi and Bangkok. In the early 20th century, they were annexed and became part of modern Siam, the country that is now called "Thailand".