Confining ourselves to the history of the Thai of Thailand, some tribes of the Thai migrated at different times and from different directions into present Thailand a thousand or more years ago. These are conjectural statements, compounded from inadequate evidence. At first they settled themselves in what is now the Northern Area of Thailand in many small independent states ruled by their own chief or kings. Not until the latter part of the 13th century A.D. Did the Northern Area of Thailand, with Chiang Mai as its capital, became a relatively fair-sized kingdom under its first king Mengrai.