Loe Thai
Ruler of Sukhothai
Loe Thai (Thai: เลอไทย, pronounced [lɤ̄ː tʰāj]) was the fourth king of the Sukhothai Kingdom (a historical kingdom of Thailand) from 1298 to 1323. He was preceded by his father Ram Khamhaeng the Great until the throne was usurped by his cousin Ngua Nam Thum.
After the death of Ram Khamhaeng, the Sukhothai tributaries broke away. Ram Khamhaeng was succeeded by his son Loe Thai. The vassal kingdoms, first Uttaradit in the north, then soon after the Laotian kingdoms of Luang Prabang and Vientiane (Wiangchan), liberated themselves from their overlord. In 1319, the Hanthawaddy kingdom to the west broke away. In 1321, Phrae Tak, one of the oldest towns under the control of Sukhothai, became free. To the south, the powerful city of Suphan Buri also broke free early in the reign of Loe Thai.
He sent an expedition against Champa around 1312, though George Cœdès thinks it was his father who organized the raids in 1313.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Loe Thai” is ruler of Sukhothai. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Thai, Ruler and Sukhothai, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “ruler of Sukhothai” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 25, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1867787. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 2 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1298, 1323, 1319 and 1321.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Loe Thai”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Loe Thai primary sources, Loe Thai archive and Thai research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Loe Thai”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Loe Thai” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.