Merchants, Merchandise, Markets: Archaeological Evidence in Thailand Concerning Maritime Trade Interaction Between Thailand and Other Countries Before the 16th A.D.

Thai people began maritime trade with other countries from prehistoric times and developed a sophisticated culture and know-how to sail in vessels. Despite this, Thai sailors were mostly not well known to the outside world. In fact, they rarely travelled far, unlike Chinese and Arab soldiers. This was because of the availability of a wide variety of resources in the Thai region, meaning that there was little necessity to go far afield for other foreign commodities. Coastal settlements and ports were successfully developed to provide services to visitors, and markets were established with the local merchants who, subsequently, acted as middlemen. Foreign methods were adapted to create new industries, which produced new merchandise, including beads, ceramics, bronze etc for export to overseas markets. Trade with many countries in the East and the West brought significant changes to Thai culture and society.