political life from the mid 14th century through the 18th century. It was early characterized by a god king form of rule, but later evolved into a more bureaucratic format. The Thai monarch was the head of a number of tribal constituencies, and there were many branches to the royal family, and other noble families involved in the rule of the country.
The Ayuthaya dynasty first codified its rules and customs under King Ramadhipati I (the current king is Rama VIII, although there have been nine kings in the line). These laws were based on the Indian Laws of Manu, although with some variations, and they remained the centerpoint of Thai law until the modern era (LePoer, 1989).
Siam came into early contact with European countries, but was not actually colonized by any of them. It did have to secede considerable land during various negotiation processes, but did manage to maintain its autonomy. Girling (1981) noted that Siam rapidly, and early, adopted many of the economic, political, and social ideas of European countries and this allowed them to maintain themselves against the external colonial pressures. Much of the early modernization project was carried out by King Chulalongkorn, son of King Mongkut.
One of the most visible portrayals of Thailand, and its rulers, was the through Hollywood's production of Anna and the King of Siam, followed by the musical version, The King and I. These portrayed the King of Siam as desiring to modernize his country, but as being fundamentally limited by tradition and his need to be treated as an autocratic leader. Yet, this portrayal of King Mongkut, not too surprisingly, was inaccurate and biased, relying on old myths of the inscrutable and exotic East. King Mongkut was a forerunner of modern Thailand and much more sophisticated than
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