How Thailand Resisted Colonization

In 1833, Prince-son monk Mongkut retrieved the 1292 Ramkhamhaeng Stele from Sukhothai and led scholars to decipher its 124 lines, which documented a sophisticated, independent Thai kingdom under King Ramkhamhaeng. The stele’s proof of a historic, literate civilization became a diplomatic asset that helped Siam resist British and French colonial expansion throughout the 19th century.