The formidable political control exercised by the Angkor Empire extended not only over the centre of the Khmer province, where the majority of the population was Khmer, but also to outer border provinces likely populated by non-Khmer peoples—including areas to the north and northeast of modern Bangkok, the lower central plain and the upper Pink river in the Lamphun-Chiang Mai region.

The Tai people were the predominant non-Khmer groups in the areas of central Thailand that formed the geographical periphery of the Khmer Empire.
Tai groups were probably assimilated into Khmer population.
Historical records show that they maintained their cultural distinctiveness, although their animist religion partially gave way to Buddhism.
Tai historical documents note that the period of the Angkor Empire was one of great internal strife.
During the 11th and 12th centuries, territories with a strong Tai presence, such as Lopburi (in what is now north-central Thailand), resisted Khmer control.

In the 11th century, Lopburi was governed by a Cambodian prince, as a part of vassal state of the Khmer Empire of Angkor, However, Lopburi wanted liberation and sought acknowledgement from China (Song dynasty) in 1001 and 1155 as an independent state.
Lopburi's large Tai population and its roots in the Dvaravati did not assimilate well with the Khmer civilisation, and in Khmer writings Lopburi was considered a province of Angkor that had a Syamese (Siamese) identity.

The Khmer influences on Lavo began to wane as a result of the growing influence of the emerging Burmese kingdom of Pagan.
In 1087 Kyansittha of Pagan invaded Lavo, but King Narai of Lavo was able to repel the Burmese invasion and Lavo, emerging relatively stronger from the encounter, was thus spared from either Khmer or Burmese hegemony.
King Narai moved the capital to Ayodhaya and Lavo was then able to exert pressure on Suvarnabhumi to the west and slowly to take its cities.

Yet another wave of Khmer invasions arrived under Jayavarman VII.
This time, Lavo was assimilated into the religious cosmos of the Khmer Empire – Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism.
Khmer influence was great on Lavo arts and architecture as seen in the Prang Sam Yot.

In 1239, the Tai governor of Sukhothai rebelled and declared independence from Lavo – giving birth to the Sukhothai Kingdom.
In Thai chronicles Lavo is called “Khmer”, and during the 13th century the Lavo kingdom shrank swiftly due to the expansion of Sukhothai under Ram Khamhaeng the Great, retreating to its heartland around Lavo and Ayodhaya.

The Kingdom of Lavo, Lo-hu, sent embassies to China between 1289 and 1299.

King Vorachet, the tenth king of Ayodhaya (counting King Narai as the first) is hypothesized to be the same person as Uthong of the Ayutthaya kingdom.
Uthong of Lavo and Borommarachathirat I of Suvarnabhumi co-founded a new Ayutthaya, and Uthong became the king of the city.
But Pa Ngua took Ayutthaya from Uthong's son Ramesuan in 1370 and Ramesuan returned to his homeland at Lavo.
In 1388 Ramesuan took revenge by taking Ayutthaya back from Pa Ngua's son, Thonglan.

Pa Ngua's nephew Intharacha took Ayutthaya back for Suvannabhum in 1408.
The Lavo dynasty was then purged and became a mere noble family of Ayutthaya until the 16th century.
The formidable political control exercised by the Angkor Empire extended not only over the centre of the Khmer province, where the majority of the population was Khmer, but also to outer border provinces likely populated by non-Khmer peoples—including areas to the north and northeast of modern Bangkok, the lower central plain and the upper Pink river in the Lamphun-Chiang Mai region.
The Tai people were the predominant non-Khmer groups in the areas of central Thailand that formed the geographical periphery of the Khmer Empire. Tai groups were probably assimilated into Khmer population. Historical records show that they maintained their cultural distinctiveness, although their animist religion partially gave way to Buddhism. Tai historical documents note that the period of the Angkor Empire was one of great internal strife. During the 11th and 12th centuries, territories with a strong Tai presence, such as Lopburi (in what is now north-central Thailand), resisted Khmer control.
In the 11th century, Lopburi was governed by a Cambodian prince, as a part of vassal state of the Khmer Empire of Angkor, However, Lopburi wanted liberation and sought acknowledgement from China (Song dynasty) in 1001 and 1155 as an independent state. Lopburi's large Tai population and its roots in the Dvaravati did not assimilate well with the Khmer civilisation, and in Khmer writings Lopburi was considered a province of Angkor that had a Syamese (Siamese) identity.
The Khmer influences on Lavo began to wane as a result of the growing influence of the emerging Burmese kingdom of Pagan. In 1087 Kyansittha of Pagan invaded Lavo, but King Narai of Lavo was able to repel the Burmese invasion and Lavo, emerging relatively stronger from the encounter, was thus spared from either Khmer or Burmese hegemony. King Narai moved the capital to Ayodhaya and Lavo was then able to exert pressure on Suvarnabhumi to the west and slowly to take its cities.
Yet another wave of Khmer invasions arrived under Jayavarman VII. This time, Lavo was assimilated into the religious cosmos of the Khmer Empire – Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism. Khmer influence was great on Lavo arts and architecture as seen in the Prang Sam Yot.
In 1239, the Tai governor of Sukhothai rebelled and declared independence from Lavo – giving birth to the Sukhothai Kingdom. In Thai chronicles Lavo is called “Khmer”, and during the 13th century the Lavo kingdom shrank swiftly due to the expansion of Sukhothai under Ram Khamhaeng the Great, retreating to its heartland around Lavo and Ayodhaya.
The Kingdom of Lavo, Lo-hu, sent embassies to China between 1289 and 1299.
King Vorachet, the tenth king of Ayodhaya (counting King Narai as the first) is hypothesized to be the same person as Uthong of the Ayutthaya kingdom. Uthong of Lavo and Borommarachathirat I of Suvarnabhumi co-founded a new Ayutthaya, and Uthong became the king of the city. But Pa Ngua took Ayutthaya from Uthong's son Ramesuan in 1370 and Ramesuan returned to his homeland at Lavo. In 1388 Ramesuan took revenge by taking Ayutthaya back from Pa Ngua's son, Thonglan.
Pa Ngua's nephew Intharacha took Ayutthaya back for Suvannabhum in 1408. The Lavo dynasty was then purged and became a mere noble family of Ayutthaya until the 16th century.
Lavo Kingdom