WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Only Siam remained largely intact and independent. By 1886 the rest of the region had been divided among the British, French, Dutch, and Spanish (who soon were replaced by the Americans), with the Portuguese still clinging to the island of Timor.

Detailed explanation-2: -Thailand covers an area of 513, 120 km², the country is just slightly larger than Spain or slightly more than twice the size of the U.S. state of Wyoming. Until 1939 the country was known as Siam.

Detailed explanation-3: -In the 19th and early 20th centuries, only Thailand survived European colonial threat in Southeast Asia due to centralising reforms enacted by King Chulalongkorn and because the French and the British decided it would be a neutral territory to avoid conflicts between their colonies.

Detailed explanation-4: -Unlike other countries in the region, Siam remained independent by adopting geographical administrative boundaries and incorporating its traditional governance structures into a new, centralized governance system.

Detailed explanation-5: -Siam Remains Independent While its neighbors on all sides fell under the control of imperialists, Siam (present-day Thailand) maintained its independence throughout the colonial period.