King Taksin a concept in Thailand

King Taksin Shrine in Chanthaburi

Born in Ayutthaya on April 17, 1734, Taksin had a flashy career at the court of the kingdom. He was appointed governor of Tak province.

The capital Tak had been inhabited by the Mon for 1000 years and in the 12^e century, the city was the gateway to Sukhothai. Only in the 17^e century, wealth increased through the timber trade with Myanmar. Some fine merchant houses from that time can still be admired on the Trok Ban Chin Road, all of which are about 150 years old. The history is housed in the Tak Museum in Taksin Alley, housed in a teak house with beautiful decorations.

When the Burmese took Ayutthaya in 1766, Taksin left the fallen city with a 1.000-strong group and took Thonburi fortress near the city of Bangkok just 6 months later in October 1767.

Then he liberated the city of Ayutthaya from the Burmese, but did not rebuild the city. Thonburi became the future capital, where he was crowned king by the people.

However, the king became more and more paranoid and acted more and more unimaginable. With politically clumsy manipulations he antagonized more and more groups. Due to a rebellion led by Phraya Sankhaburigegen, Taksin was forced to become a monk in Wat Chaeng (present-day Wat Arun). Chaophraya Chakri, who lived in Cambodia, then returned and had Taksin executed on April 6, 1782.

Thonburi served as the capital for only 15 years. The Chinese were driven off the island of Rattanakosin so that King Ramal could have the Grand Palace built there.

It is interesting to know that the first pedestrian walkway in the Chinese quarter is located at the Sampeng Lane fabric market. The price of land here is the highest in the entire city and has been in the hands of Chinese traders for generations. In the traditional shops, trading takes place on the ground floor, the family lives above. The most famous main road in Chinatown is Yaowarat (Chinatown)

Source: der Farang, ea