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Paragraphs Why was siam successful in meeting the challenge of western colonial powers in the nineteen century' Thailand had been a kingdom under absolute monarchy for over centuries. Thailand was believed to be a surviving state. It was ruled by a series of military governments interspersed with brief periods of democracy. Following the revolution that imposed constitutional limits on the monarchy, Thai politics was dominated for a half-century by a military and bureaucratic elite. Changes of government were effected primarily by means of a long series of mostly bloodless coups. A Thai kingdom was established after the Ayutthaya period was destroyed. The two main ruler during this time was King Mongkut and his son King Chulalongkorn who established firm rapprochement with the westen powers. King Mongkut ruled Thailand during 1851 to 1868. He was a Buddhist monk for 27 years and he wanted his country to succeed. At the time King became increasingly concerned with the threat of European colonialism after British victories in neighboring Burma. The first Thai recognition of Western power in the region was the Treaty of Amity and Commerce with the United Kingdom . Later in the period, the United States began diplomatic exchanges with Siam. Therefore in King Mongkut learned everything he could about the west and gained insight to the lives of commoners. King Mongkut had the opportunity to travel which gave him a good idea of geography. He even send his sons to English schools so they can learn the ways of the west. King Mongkut’s exposure to the western world through his meetings with his missionary friends and numerous other westerners made him realize that reform was essential for the prosperity and survival of his kingdom. However, he faced opposition from conservative people fearing a loss of power through modernization, clung to the established order. The average Siamese citizen, after two kings whose reigns were marked by isolation from the West, had become somewhat intolerant, fearing that any change would result in the loss of old values and traditions. The King, therefore, had to proceed delicately in proposing the reforms and instituting them. Mongkut saw the importance of the revolution in spreading education by this means and had a new printing press with Pali characters established in his monastery.The King volunteered to westernize the Siam by importing western devices to reach strong administration. King Mongkut was cleaver to use some of the western ideas for ruling their own country so they can reach equal status such as the Brtish. Siam made its monarch more ordinary and less sacred and it gave the right to the British to reside in the kingdom. The King knew there nature of the Brtish powers and welcomed the British into his own house and treated them like his guests. Therefore, the British did not want to take over Siam, learning the way they were being treated. The King also invited many neighbouring countries to continue peace between them which meant no threat to Siam. This was cleverly done. The king of Siam made a very friendly alliance with the Birtish so they could help Siam when in need. The King also established the first museum and library within Siam. As a monk he had often wandered about the ruins of the former kingdom of Sukhothai, a practice that fostered his interest in archaeology. During his reign, King Mongkut invited French archaeologists to come to Siam to excavate the ruins at Sukhothai so that the Siamese people might finally understand their significance and place in Thai history. Through his support and encouragement the library and museum grew to such an extent that extra buildings were needed to house them. Soon King Mongkut handed the power over to his son King Chulalongkorn. When Chulalongkorn took power, he realized that the country needed more moderation along the western lines and his model would be the Brtish. The King visited Java, Malaya, Burma and Indonesia to see their work and how they ran their government first hand. He then learned the importance of education for his country. Under the King Chulalongkorn rule, no one was low and he banished people from selling themselves as slaves this was also a reason for Siam to look better to the western people. Furthermore, all provinces were centralized under one ministry. This was one main key to reformation and modernization of Siam. Siam made education a standard practice throughout the country because the British believed in importance of education as well. In conclusion, King Mongut and King Chulalongkorn helped created a westernized Siam so it would not be in danger of threat from the European colonialism after British victories in neighboring Burma. it was during the later reigns of King Mongkut, and his son King Chulalongkorn, that Thailand established firm rapprochement with Western powers. It is a widely held view in Thailand that the diplomatic skills of these monarchs, combined with the modernising reforms of the Thai Government, made Siam the only country in South and Southeast Asia to avoid European colonization.