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Did
you know!
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That: Southern
Thailand has been inhabited since the early days of mankind by ancient tribes
who settled and or adapted their lifestyles to the local environment. Who
arrived first and who pushed out or assimilated who has kept archaeologists
occupied for a long time, and promises to keep them working for a good while
to come.
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Read
more
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From our
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Travelers Guide to Phuket
History
- Taksin Era
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The Taksin
Era
Burmese
control of Thailand was shortly terminated in an uprising led by
General Pya Taksin who forced the Burmese into retreat, and
proclaimed himself king in 1769. King Taksin (1769-1782)
established his royal capital in Thonburi a city across the Chao
Phraya river from the present day capital of Bangkok. King Taksin
then set about reining in a number of rebellious Thai princes and
reasserting central control over the entire kingdom including the
tributary kingdoms.
The short reign of King Taksin
has all the elements of a Shakespearean tragedy -- complete with
palace intrigue, betrayal, and treachery. A charismatic leader
steps forward in the darkest hour of his countrys history and
rallies his nation to drive out the hated Burmese invaders. He
then reunites the kingdom and holds it together during one its
most difficult periods. His reward in life and place in Thai
history seem a little out of balance with his contributions. King
Taksin allegedly became insane and started to regard himself as
the second coming of Buddha. Whether true or not, he was deposed
by his ministers, who then executed him in the custom reserved for
royalty -- by shackling his hands and feet with gold restraints,
sewing him into a velvet sack so that no royal blood touched the
ground, then beating him to death with a Sandalwood club. During
the Ayutthaya period a surprising number of Thai kings are
reported to have become insane and were eliminated. As in previous
cases, many heirs to the king were also executed. General Chakri a
close and trusted aide of the former King Taksin succeeded him to
the throne. King Taksins status as a warrior hero is very
reserved, in many accounts of Thai history if he is mentioned at
all it is usually minimal. He certainly has never achieved the
near god status of some of the later kings.
In the late seventeenth century
ships of the British East India Company transiting the
Straits of Malacca were under constant attack from pirates and
slave traders. To stem this assault on the prestige of the British
flag they sought one or more defensible islands with a good harbor
to expand their empire and guard the northern entrance of the
Straits of Malacca. Captain Francis Light a merchant with the
East India Company had lived on Phuket for many years and
had traveled and traded throughout the area. He was well aware of
the strategic advantages of Phuket Island and Penang, farther down
the coast, and he recommended acquisition of both islands. A very
energetic man who was fluent in both Thai and Malay, he held
secret negotiations with both the Governor of Phuket and the
Sultan of the Malay state of Kedah. The then governor of Phuket
was under intense pressure to increase the production of tin. The
governor sought to cede Phuket to the British in return for
commercial concessions. The British had seized control of foreign
territories on less pretense than this offered and they apparently
seriously considered the proposal.
Captain Light also obtained an
offer from the Sultan of the Malay State of Kedah to sell the
British the island of Penang. Ultimately the company officials
opted to establish only one colony and they felt that Penang
Island offered the better harbor of the two. In 1785, Captain
Light was off to found the British colony of Penang. At the time,
the Sultan was also under pressure from the Thai Royal Court
regarding payment of tribute to the Thai king and was seeking both
money and protection from the British. In spite of the agreement
reached with Captain Light the British never had any intention of
going to war to protect the Sultan. After the island had become a
colony a short period of hostilities erupted between the Sultan
and the British during which it was determined that payment for
the island would not be necessary after all.
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