study tour report

Ayutthaya, an old historic capital of Siam


Many years ago I had a chance to go to Ayutthaya province. I was so excited at that time because I had never been to Ayutthaya province before. I always drive pass this province to my hometown, Nakonsawan but I have never stop by that province. So when I went to Ayutthaya with my sister for the first time of my life, I was really excited and wanted to have sightseeing all over the province.

Actually, I have cousin lives at Ayutthaya province. And that day we meant to go to visit him too. We asked him to take us to see things around Ayutthaya province because he lives there, so he knows everything in that province.

I and my sister went to Ayutthaya province on weekend. We went by my sister drove a car and it was not took time so long to get there. It was just about an hour from our home in Bangkok to Ayutthaya province because Ayutthaya province is not much far from Bangkok. It is just about 85 km from Bangkok.

Ayutthaya province is a very important in Thailand in the past and until now it is still an important province in Thailand. It was the capital of Siam (Thailand) from 1350 till 1767 until Burma conquered the city. There were 33 kings of Siam reigned here.
There are many old temples or as Thai people called Wat in Ayutthaya. These temples were very important to Thai people at that time. And today they are still important constructions to Thais too.


My sister and I went to wat chai watanaram

and wat phra si sanphet. I t is a very interesting

and beautiful place. And I have known some

interesting information about the two places I

went to. And today I want to share some of that

information to you. First, I went to Wat Chai

Watanaram. This place is a wonderful place for

me.

Wat Chai Wattanaram was built in 1630 by King Prasat Thong during the later period of Ayutthaya. It was built to commemorate his mother's hometown and to celebrate his coronation. Another theory is that it was also built to commemorate yet another victory of the Khmer, therefore going back in using Khmer architecture. The main prang is believed to contain relics of the Lord Buddha.

After that, I went to wat phra si sanphet.


I really like this place. It is a very wonderful and beautiful place for me. the constructions inside this temple compound is very fantastic.

I took some photoes at that place too. and I also

want to share some interesting information about

this temple to everyone.

This isThe Viharn at Wat Phra Si Sanphet. It was build in 1499 by King Rama Thibodi II. Construction of the Chedis of what is now named Wat Phra Si Sanphet, started probably during the reign of King Trailok (middle period of Ayutthaya).

I really had a great time at Ayuttaya Province. The memory of it will be here in my heart and mind forever. Somedays i will go to this province again.

King Taksin the great, is he really insane or he he just pretended to be???

One day I looked on the internet and I found interesting information about King Taksin about is he really insane or he just pretended to be insane.

The information about the history of King Taksin that I want to share to you today is not like what we have studied before. It is about the insanity of King Taksin the great that he is really insane or not.

What we have learned about King Taksin in the history class is King Taksin was born in 1733 in the reign of King Borommakot of Ayutthaya. His father was a Chinese named Haihong, who had immigrated to Thailand and worked as a tax-collector. The King's mother was a Thai called Nok Lang


After the Second Fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, King Taksin the Great who, after a few years, gathered together enough forces to defeat the Burmese and set up the Kingdom of Thonburi as the new capital, as the city Ayutthaya has been almost completely destroyed by the invaders.

After taking the throne King Taksin became deranged. He started to become a religious fanatic, claiming that he was the Buddha, expecting to change the colour of his blood from red to white.

As he started practicing meditation, he even gave lecture to the monks. Sometimes he flogged monks who refused to worship him.

King Taksin was said insane. The disturbance widely spread. Killing and looting were everywhere. People all over the kingdom were suffering.

Thus a coup d'état removed him from the throne consequently took place.
Chao Phaya Chakri had returned from a campaign against the Khmer when officials urged him to depose HM Taksin and ascend to the throne himself.

A council declared that HM Tak Sin had to be executed in the prescribed manner for royalty. No royal blood could be shed. So the condemned King was put in a silk bag and beaten with sandalwood clubs.

The information above is what we have studied and known about King Taksin from the history class. And now I want to share some information about King Taksin that I have found on the internet that so much different from what we have learnt before.

This information claims that King Taksin was not really insane. He just pretended that he is insane. And actually he was a royal blood too. He was not a son of a Chinese father, but also the son of King Borommakot of Ayutthaya.

His mother was the secret wife of King Borommakot, who was a Chinese people, named haihong. His mother was afraid that if there was anybody knew this secret, it meant her son life.

So she decided to lie to his son and everyone that King Taksin was a son of a Chinese father, named Haihong. And she also told King Taksin that his mother was a Thai people, named nok-lang.

The reason that he pretended that he was insane is After King Taksin established Thonburi as his capital, people were living in abject poverty, and food and clothing were scarce.

He considered solving economic problems as the main priority. He paid high prices for rice from his own money to induce foreign traders to bring in adequate amounts of basic necessities to satisfy the need of the people.

King Taksin at that time did an agreement with china. So Thailand at that time owed China for millions of baht. He also had no way to settle his debts with the mercenary armies. In order to cancel the agreement between China, King Taksin pretended to be insane.

In the execution, someone was substituted for King Taksin in the silk bag. And afterwards, Taksin was secreted away from Thonburi and to the south where he spent the rest of his life as a monk.