The Two Heroines of Thalang (Phuket)

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You may have driven past it. At a roundabout on Thepkasattri Road in the Thalang district of the island Phuket state one monument, which depicts two Thai women. You may have wondered what these two ladies owe the monument to. This is the story. 

Burma-Siam war

Myanmar and Thailand now maintain very friendly relations, but that has been different in the past. Like Burma and Siam, the two countries were regularly at odds with each other and then – from a Thai point of view – it was usually about curbing Burma's expansionist drive. One such conflict was a year-long war in 1785-1786 between the Konbuang dynasty of Burma and the Chakri dynasty of Siam.

King Bodawpaya of Burma was determined to expand his territory at the expense of his neighbor to the east and went into battle with 9 armies (nine is a magic number in Burmese numerology). The attack was repulsed by Siam and one of the turning points in that war took place at Phuket where a Burmese naval force met unexpectedly strong resistance.

Burmese invasion

The war was fought mainly over land in the north, but a Burmese naval force wanted to invade the country from the south with a surprise attack by sea. However, the local government on the island had been warned by an English officer of the British East India Company, who had seen at sea that Burmese ships were preparing for an invasion.

A large part of the Burmese fleet landed on Nai Yang Beach, close to where Phuket International Airport is now located. The attack was particularly bad for Siam, because due to the recent death of the governor, Phuket was at that time in a weakened military state. However, the defenders had a special asset.

Thao Thep Kasattri and Thao Sri Sunthon

Two sisters

Dan Phu Ying Chan, the wife of the late governor, took matters into her own hands and, together with her sister Mook, mobilized the islanders to fight the invaders. The army thus mobilized, of which a large number were women, fought for what it was worth against the Burmese under the leadership of the two sisters. Despite outnumbering the Burmese, they were defeated and forced to retreat on March 13, 1785.

Tribute

Naturally, the two sisters were honored as the saviors of Phuket and a grateful King Rama I bestowed the royal titles of Thao Thep Kasattri and Thao Si Sunthon on the ladies. In the early 1900s, King Rama VI suggested the idea of ​​building a monument to these two heroines, which was finally realized in 1967. King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) attended the unveiling ceremony.

The monument, the pride of Phuket, is visited by many Thais to pay their respects to these two ladies, commonly called Ya Chan and Ya Mook (ya stands for grandmother in Thai). Thai visitors will pay a visit to the monument upon arrival and local people, who leave the island for a short or longer period of time, will pay their respects in the hope of being protected along the way.

Annual festival

Every year in March, the Thao Thepkasattri-Thao Sri Suntorn Festival takes place, which lasts for several days and consists of various sports and cultural activities. The program for this year is unknown to me, but if you are in Phuket around that time, you should keep an eye on the local press (Phuket News).

Source: Phuket Magazine