Thai agriculture is traced through prehistory, agro-cities, and religious empires with immigrant Tai, to a sustainable wet glutinous rice culture which shaped institutions for an exporting society. Agriculture’s provision of security and wealth increased with population and Chinese and European agribusiness, until accessible land was expended. Employment, crisis resilience, self-sufficiency, rural social support, and culture were maintained through agriculture, although hampered by institutional orientations to taxation more than research and education. By the 1960’s, agribusiness contrasted with small-holders, setting the stage for today’s social dilemmas. Thailand is one of the world’s few major agricultural exporters, leading in rice, rubber, canned pineapple, Black Tiger Prawn and regional chicken meat. It feeds some four times its population from less intensive agriculture than its neighbors. Issues remain in poverty, education, research, governance, national debt, and sensitive alternatives for small-holders. Past advantages in irrigation’s, administration, export, multinational agribusiness, negotiation, retained potential, and acceptance of new ideas, suggest that Thailand should remain a major agricultural country as environmental and religious concerns contribute to its unique agriculture.