King Taksin the Great or the King of Thonburi was the only king of the Thonburi Kingdom that ruled Thailand from 1767 to 1782. He had been an aristocrat in the Ayutthaya Kingdom and then was a major leader during the liberation of Siam from Burmese occupation after the Second Fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, and the subsequent unification of Siam after it fell under various warlords. He established the city of Thonburi as the new capital, as the city of Ayutthaya had been almost completely destroyed by the invaders. His reign was characterized by numerous wars; he fought to repel new Burmese invasions and to subjugate the northern Thai kingdom of Lanna, the Laotian principalities, and a threatening Cambodia.
Statue of Taksin the Great at Hat-Sung Palace (Wat Khung Taphao), Uttaradit Province, Thailand)
A royal monument of King Taksin the Great
Portrait of King Taksin, said to be done by a French priest in King Ekkathat's funeral
King Taksin the Great Monument, the monument of King Taksin accompanied by his four trusted soldiers at Chantaburi
The monarchy of Thailand is the constitutional form of government of the Thailand. The king of Thailand is the head of state and head of the ruling Royal House of Chakri.
King Naresuan of Ayutthaya fought several wars against the Burmese to preserve Siamese independence.
Wat Phra Si Sanphet next to the king's palace was the most sacred temple in the kingdom of Ayutthaya.
Thongduang, later King Rama I of Siam, founded the Chakri dynasty in 1782.
King Prajadhipok signing the Constitution of Siam, 10 December 1932.