Thai Sa
Thai Sa (full name: Somdet Phrachao Thai Sa , Thai : สมเด็จ พระเจ้า ท้าย สระ , also: Phuminthararacha , or: Somdet Phrachao Sanphet IX. สมเด็จพระเจ้า สรรเพ ช ญ์ ที่ 9 ; * 1679 ; † January 1733 ) was from 1709 to 1733 the 32nd King of the Siamese Kingdom of Ayutthaya .
Live and act
He was the eldest son of King Phrachao Suea ( พระเจ้า เสือ - "The Tiger King", also: Suriyentharathibodi), who had appointed his two sons as Uparat , but never fully trusted them. After the death of Phrachao Suea in 1709, Prince Phet was unanimously crowned King Phuminthararacha at the age of 30, but he was rather called "Thai Sa", which literally means "At the end of the lake", a reference to his residence, which lay in the middle of a lake.
The 24 years of his reign were relatively peaceful, he only had to suppress the Vietnamese influence on the throne of his vassal Cambodia. In 1720 this led to a campaign by Siam to Cambodia, where attempts were made to bring King Thommoreachea back to the throne. When this failed, King Ang Em could be "persuaded" to pay an annual tribute to Ayutthaya.
During the reign of King Thai Sa there was a remarkable increase in foreign trade with China . This particularly affected the export of Siamese rice . This was initially due to the fact that the Phrakhlang Ministry (originally: Ministry of Treasury , later also Ministry of Commerce ) was dominated by Siamese of Chinese descent. When the Chinese government unconditionally opened all southern Chinese ports to imports from Siam in 1727, trade experienced a great boom .
The king restored some temples, including Wat Maheyong in the east of the capital and Wat Phra Putthabat near today's Saraburi . He made several pilgrimages to Wat Phra Putthabat.
The king had some canals ( Khlong ) straightened, for example the Khlong Khok Kham ( คลอง โคก ขาม , roughly: Canal of the Indigo Hill ), which connects the Mae Nam Tha Chin ( Tha Chin River ) with the Mae Nam Chao Phraya connected. The work was carried out by 30,000 Corvée workers and took three months. The king then gave it the name "Khlong Sanam Chai", later it was renamed "Khlong Maha Chai". The Khlong Samrong, which enabled a connection between the Chao Phraya and the Bang Pakong in Chachoengsao , was completed by the king by 1721. It seems that Europeans with modern measuring equipment were involved in planning the work.
In addition, the Khlong Lat Kret ( คลอง ลัด เกร็ด ) is said to have been completed in 1721 during the reign of Thai Sa. It shortens a large loop of the Chao Phraya. Together with the Chao Phraya, this channel forms the island of Ko Kret (today: Nonthaburi province ). However, it looks like this canal is already on a fairly accurate Dutch nautical chart from 1650.
literature
- David K. Wyatt: Thailand A Short History . Silkworm Books, Chiang Mai 1984, ISBN 974-7047-44-6 .
- Richard D. Cushman (David K. Wyatt Ed.): The Royal Chronicles Of Ayutthaya . The Siam Society, Bangkok 2000, ISBN 974-8298-48-5 .
Individual evidence
- ^ Cushman: Royal Chronicles , p. 405
- ↑ Shigeharu Tanabe: Historical Geography of the Canal System in the Chao Phraya Delta . In: Journal Of The Siam Society, Vol. 65 Part 2 , The Siam Society , Bangkok 1977, online [1] , (PDF last accessed November 1, 2012; 5.19 MB).
- ↑ Derick Garnier: Ayutthaya - Venice of the East . River Books, Bangkok 2004, ISBN 974-8225-60-7
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Thai Sa |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Phuminthararacha, Sanphet IX. |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Ruler of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1679 |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 1733 |
| Place of death | Ayutthaya , Thailand |