City When the former Tak Governor died, Luang Yok Krabat "Sin" became Tak Governor.
In B.E.2308, King Mangra, the Burmese King, brought troops to defeat Ayutthaya having
Nemiewsihabodi leading troops from the North, defeating cities of Chiang Mai, Lampang, Sawan
Khalok, Sukhothai, Tak, Kamphaengpetch. It was at this time that a Burmese general by the name of
Mung Maha Noratha had marshaled his forces and marched on a southward offensive. General Mung
Maha Noratha was able to take a number of cities, including Tha Wai, Chum Phon, Phetchaburi,
Ratchaburi and Kanchanaburi, and towards the end of B.E.2308, this Burmese General had once
again regrouped his forces and laid siege to the Thai Capital of Krung Sri Ayutthaya.
His Majesty Somdet Phra Chao Eka-that (2301- 2310), who was the reigning monarch of
Krung Sri Ayutthaya at that time, had not prepared any strategic defense and his army was militarily
unprepared for the offensive, so His Majesty was unable to dispatch the Roval Forces to rescue the
border cities against the foreign invasion, and it came to pass that many border cities and townships
fell under the occupation of a foreign army. Following their
subjugation of the border cities and towns, the Burmese were able
to replenish their food supplies, and were able to round up a large
number of youths whom they pressed-ganged into military
service.
When the Capital City of Krung Sri Ayutthaya was
encroached by foreign forces, theThai peasantry who loved their
11
Fatherland, rallied their forces into small and scatted peasant armies which fought bravely against
the Main Battle Group of the foreign army. A pitched battle was fought at Mueang Viset Chaicharn
(City), and farming peasants of Mu Ban Bang Rachan (village) had fought a protracted battle and
skirmished with the forward contingents of the Burmese army for 5 months. Until the Burmese
Commanders were compelled to send their Main Battle Group to quell the peasant offensive of
"Bang Rachan". The agitated Burmese Commanders were forced to send a total of 8
contingents before the Bang Rachan militia were finally defeated. The bravery of the Bang Rachan
peasants, who had fought to the last man and woman, has been enshrined in the annuals of Thai
history for later generations to remember their valor and love for the country.
The Burmese moved their forces to lay siege to the Capital City of Krung Sri Ayutthaya in
October B.E. 2309. The Burmese Commanders had well prepared their forces, which were ready to
engage in to battle in any season. They were intent with their ambition to conquer the Capital City of
Krung Sri Ayutthaya. The Burmese Commanders had devised a strategic offensive in which they first
concentrated in taking important out lying cities and townships, in order to prevent those cities from
sending their regional and provincial contingents to assist in the defense of the Capital City.
With this strategic noose, the Burmese Commanders were not only able to replentish their
food supplies, but were also able to press-gang able bodies youths into military service, along with a
plentiful supply of confiscated weapons, war elephants and horses. All of which were preparations
for the final Battle of Ayutthaya. Atter the Burmese army had laid siege to Krung Sri Ayutthaya for 1
year and 2 months, on the 7th of April B.E. 2310, the Burmese army was able to take the Capital City.
When the capital fell into the hands of the foreign army, savage plundering befell the graceful City of
Ayutthaya, and such architectural marvels as the Prasart Raja Monthien (Royal Palace), and many
great Buddhist Monasteries and residential homes were mindlessly put to the torch by the foreign
maruders. By laying waste to the entire capital, the Burmese army had dealt unspeakable
destruction to the Thai Capital City of Krung Sri Ayutthaya.
Shortly before the fall of Krung Sri Ayutthaya to the Burmese forces, Phraya Tak ("Sin"),
who was then promoted to the rank of "Phraya Vachira Prakarn", took up the Governorship of the City
of Kamphaengpetch, had occasion to travel to the Capital City to receive conferment of his official
rank and to receive his official Administrative Seal. However, due to an unfortunate turn of events, he
was deprived of his return to Kamphaeng Phet to take up the Governorship, as the Burmese
Commanders had already launched an all out attack on the Capital, and so he remained in the
Capital City to assist in the general defense of Ayutthaya. While engaging the Burmese forces in
successive pitched battles. Phraya Vachira Prakarn ("Sin") disheartened with the on-going defensive,
as he was prevented from launching a decisive battle. This was because the reigning Monarch was
a weak person, and had not maintained himself in the righteous standing of Kingship adding to the
worsening circumstances. A large number of good.
12
Thai Commanders and courageous soldiers had been wounded, while many had fallen in
battle. It was during this period of confusion and uncertainty. Phraya Vacchira Prakarn finally arrived
at the sad realisation that all was lost, and that Ayutthaya could not he saved from her fate. On the
night of the 3rd of January B.E.2309, Phraya Vachira Prakarn, who was then 32 years of age,
decided to marshall a small contingent of about 500 strong, and fought his way out from the enemy’s
stranglehold, which was about to choke Ayutthaya to death, with the intention to later find ways and
means to return and liberate his countrymen, and rid his country of foreign occupation
forces.Following the fall of Ayutthaya to the Burmese, many out-lying cities which were not besieged
and sacked by the burmese army, promptly took this opportunity to declare independence, some
having rallied their forces together established a number of independent principalities. One such
principality was ruled by Phraya Tak ("Sin") or Phraya Vachira Prakarn, who seized the border City of
Chanthaburi, and used that city's fortifications as his Military Command headquarters. In
Chanthaburi, Phraya Tak beefed up and enlarged his army, while stockpiling weapons and ordered
ships to be built in preparation for the Liberation Battle.
While nearing the end of October B. E. 2310, Phraya Tak took command of his naval battle
group and navigated his troops across the Gulf of Siam and up the Chao Phraya River to attack the
City of Thonburi, which shortly fell to his forces. He then navigated his naval forces further up the
Chao Phraya River to attack the Burmese stronghold at Kai Boe Sarm Ton, and seized this enemy
fort. Finally, on the 7th of November B.E. 2310, the Capital City of Ayutthaya once again returned to
Thai possession, less than one year after loosing that Capital City to the Burmese.
Upon completing the Royal Funeral Rites for His late King Eka-that, Phraya Tak Sin decided
to alleviate the status of the City of Krung Thonburi to become the new Royal Capital of the Kingdom
of Siam, and ascended the throne on the 28th of December B.E. 2310 at the age of 33, and was
conferred the royal title of Somdej Phra Chao Krung Thonburi, but his subjects fondly refer to His
Majesty as Somdej Phra Chao Tab Sin.
The reason His Majesty had decided to relocate the Capital City to Thonburi is because so
much destruction had been brought about through pillage and sacking by the Burmese, that the old
Capital of Ayutthaya was left in irreparable destruction. Besides, the geographic location of Krung
Thonburi had offered many advantages and conveniences, especially its strategic position.
Following his establishment of Krung Thonburi as the new Thai Capital and his ascension to the
throne, King Taksin realized the necessity to bring the out-lying cities, which had turned themselves
into independent principalities back to the fold, in order to strengthen and stabilize the kingdom, as
well as to prevent any future recurrence of foreign incursions. In the next three years, he succeeded
in defeating and subjugating all the independent principalities and brought those cities back under
his governance.
13
All through the tenure of his reign, His Majesty was exhausted with many urgent tasks, as
had relentlessly exerted his efforts to stabilize the country. First he had to complete his task of
driving all remnants of the occupation forces from his territory, and fortified the country's defense
especially among the border cities and townships to prevent incursions by foreign forces from
neighboring kingdoms, as well as consolidating and expanding the territories of his kingdom. King
Taksin also encouraged the revival of classical arts, customs and traditions, as well as literature,
poetry and religion. He had shown himself to be a monarch who is brimming with compassion and
his many abilities, which were used to literally reconstruct the badly fragmented Thai nation, is a
gift graciously by His Majesty which the Thai people are greatly indebted and gratified until this
very day.
Although His Majesty was ceremoniously put to death on the 6th of April B.E. 2315, all Thai
people are still grateful for his great achievements and had unammously granted him the title of King
Takin the Great, for being a great and famous Warrior Monarch who had liberated and consolidated
the country into a powerful kingdom. As tribute to His Majesty's greatness, an equestrian statute was
erected in the middle of the Wong Wien Yai (traffic) circle in Thonburi.