Period Two

Ayuthaya Kingdom

The Ban Phlu Luang Dynasty

The dynasty was named after the birth place of the first king of the dynasty, a village in Suphanburi Province. The reign of King Phetratcha, the first king of the dynasty, was not peaceful and interrupted by revolts at Nakhon Nayok and Khorat. But he was successful in finally bringing Cambodia under Siamese control in 1697 AD. His death indeed showed parallels with the last days of King Narai as he had to experience similar grief. Two of his sons tried to kill each other and so the old king reacted in calling a distant nephew as his heir. After King Phetratcha's death still another man is made king, his son Sorasak who became known under the name Prachao Sua, meaning the Tiger King because of his wild manners.

King Sorasak died after only six years of not very interesting reign and his heir was his son King Phumintharacha. As next king Boramakot reigned between 1733 and 1758 AD who was a brother of King Phumintharacha. In this time it is reported happened a civil war about the throne succession between the king and three sons of his predecessor in which two sons got killed and the last escaped to be a monk.

After the death of King Boramakot his second oldest son, Uthumpon became initially king as the oldest son, Ekhathat was considered mentally weak with a lack of intelligence. But after Uthumpon got three cousins killed and Ekhathat asked for the throne, King Uthumpon retired as king to make place for Ayuthaya's last ruler.

Now, if Ekhathat was mentally weak and lacked intelligence is controversial but indeed his incompetence in decision making should enable the Burmese later to cause the downfall of the kingdom.

Remark: Not much is delivered in historical evidences about the era of the Ban Phlu Luang Dynasty, mainly because historical records were burned by the Burmese. Records about previous eras of Siamese history derive mainly reports of foreigners who resided in Siam but who were forbidden to stay beginning from the time of King Phetratcha.