Bilateral relations between Thailand and the United Kingdom date to the 17th century. Thailand has an embassy in London and the UK has an embassy in Bangkok. In 1608, an English captain William Keeling met an ambassador of King Ekathotsarot of Siam in Banten. During the 17th century the English East India Company first arrived and established factories in the Ayutthaya Kingdom. In 1612, British merchants delivered a letter from King James I to King Ekathotsarot in regards to trade and establishing relations. The British merchants were welcomed warmly by the King. Later, in the 19th century, Britain became, along with France, one of the two major colonial powers exerting pressure on Siam, when it colonised Burma and Malaya to Siam's west and south. During this period, Britain gained signifi