AP World History Exam Prep

Answer - C - Through Western leadership and luck, Thailand managed to keep free of domination and foreign powers.

Key Takeaway: Thailand was the only major country on the Southeast Asian mainland that was able to remain independent throughout the nineteenth century. Thailand’s rulers, such as Rama I and King Chulalongkorn, were monarchs who believed in modernization and introduced industry and Western reform to the country. Throughout the nineteenth century, Thailand served as a buffer between Indochina and Burma.