A son of Borommarachathirat I and member of the House of Suphannaphum, Thong Lan succeeded his father to the throne of Ayutthaya in 750 LE (1931 BE, 1388/89 CE) at the age of 15. Having reigned for only seven days, he was deposed and executed in a coup by Ramesuan, his relative from the House of Uthong.[1]
Thong Lan was the first monarch of Ayutthaya to be executed.[2]
Thong (Thai: ทอง) means "gold". Lan (Thai: ลัน) is an archaic word whose meaning is not known.[6]
Historian Suchit Wongthet (Thai: สุจิตต์ วงษ์เทศ) expressed the opinion that lan here is an old Thai–Lao term which encyclopediae say refers to "eeltrap made of bamboo". The historian stated that naming a person after an animal trapping device was an ancient practice, citing the personal name of King Rama I, Thong Duang (Thai: ทองด้วง), which means "golden snare".[7]
In 731 LE (1912 BE, 1369/70 CE), Ramathibodi I died. Ramesuan came from Lop Buri and succeeded to the throne of Ayutthaya.[16]
In 732 LE (1913 BE, 1370/71 CE), Borommarachathirat I marched his army from Suphan Buri to Ayutthaya. Ramesuan then "presented" the throne to him and returned to Lop Buri as before.[15]
Reign
In 750 LE (1931 BE, 1388/89 CE), Boromrachathirat I led his army to attack Chakangrao. But he fell ill and died en route.[17] His son, Thong Lan, then succeeded to the throne of Ayutthaya.[12]
Thai chronicles state that Thong Lan was 15 years of age when he ascended the throne in 750 LE (1931 BE, 1388/89 CE).[1] Based on this information, Thong Lan was possibly born in 735 LE (1916 BE, 1373/74 CE). But the Dutch document Van Vliet Chronicle says he was 17 when ascending the throne.[12]
After Thong Lan had reigned for merely seven days, Ramesuan came from Lop Buri with his army and seized the throne. Ramesuan had Thong Lan put to death at a Buddhist temple called Wat Khok Phraya (Thai: วัดโคกพระยา).[10] Thong Lan was killed by hitting his neck with a Sandalwood club, a traditional means for executing a royal person.[18] Ramesuan then became king of Ayutthaya for the second time.[19]
Historian Damrong Rajanubhab introduced a theory that Boromrachathirat I brought his army to Ayutthaya in 732 LE because of certain political problems that Ramesuan was unable to deal with. The two might have agreed that Ramesuan would let Boromrachathirat rule Ayutthaya and the latter would declare the former his successor. Ramesuan thus presented the throne of Ayutthaya to Boromrachathirat and returned to his old base, Lop Buri. But when it appeared that the agreement was breached and Boromrachathirat was instead succeeded by his son, Thong Lan, Ramesuan then seized the throne and killed Thong Lan.[20]
Modern scholars believe otherwise. Suchit Wongthet (Thai: สุจิตต์ วงษ์เทศ) expressed the opinion that Boromrachathirat's arrival in Ayutthaya with troops was apparently to "seize power by means of military force (called coup in our days)" and Ramesuan returned to Lop Buri just to accumulate more power and wait for an opportunity to strike back.[21] Pramin Khrueathong (Thai: ปรามินทร์ เครือทอง) also believed that Boromrachathirat used military strength to force Ramesuan out of the throne, saying this was probably why Ramesuan took revenge on Boromrachathirat's young son, Thong Lan, killing the child violently.[22]
These events were part of a series of conflicts between the houses of Uthong and Suphannaphum that would continue until Suphannaphum achieved decisive victory over Uthong at the end of Ramrachathirat's reign, allowing Suphannaphum to remain in power over the Kingdom of Ayutthaya for almost the next two centuries.[23]
Čhansuwan, ‘Ēkkarāt (2011). Samretthōt nư̄a rātchabanlang สำเร็จโทษเหนือราชบัลลังก์ [Deaths Over the Throne] (in Thai). Bangkok: Yipsī. ISBN9786167071329.
Kasētsiri, Chānwit (2005). Phetlœ̄t‘anan, Thamrongsak (ed.). 'Ayutthayā prawattisāt læ kānmư̄ang อยุธยา ประวัติศาสตร์และการเมือง [Ayutthaya: History and Politics] (in Thai) (4th ed.). Bangkok: Foundation for Promotion of Social Sciences and Humanities Textbooks Project. ISBN9749157273.
Phrarātchaphongsāwadān chabap phrarātchahatthalēkhā lem nưng พระราชพงศาวดาร ฉบับพระราชหัตถเลขา เล่ม ๑ [Royal Autograph Chronicle, Volume 1] (in Thai) (8th ed.). Bangkok: Fine Arts Department of Thailand. 1991. ISBN9744171448.
Phrarātchaphongsāwadān krung sayām chabap mǭ bratle พระราชพงศาวดารกรุงสยาม ฉบับหมอบรัดเล [Doctor Bradley Royal Chronicle of Siam] (in Thai) (2nd ed.). Bangkok: Khōsit. 2006. ISBN9749489993.
Phrarātchaphongsāwadān krung sī 'ayutthayā chabap phan čhannumāt (čhœ̄m) læ 'ēkkasān 'ư̄n พระราชพงศาวดารกรุงศรีอยุธยา ฉบับพันจันทนุมาศ (เจิม) และเอกสารอื่น [Phan Channumat (Choem)'s Royal Chronicle of Ayutthaya, and Other Documents] (in Thai). Nonthaburī: Sī Panyā. 2010. ISBN9786167146089.
Prachum phongsāwadān chabap kānčhanāphisēk lem nưng ประชุมพงศาวดาร ฉบับกาญจนาภิเษก เล่ม ๑ [Golden Jubilee Collection of Historical Archives, Volume 1] (in Thai). Bangkok: Fine Arts Department of Thailand. 1999. ISBN9744192151.
Prachum phongsāwadān phāk thī pǣtsip sǭng rư̄ang phrarātchaphongsāwadān krung sayām čhāk tonchabap khǭng britit miosīam krung london ประชุมพงศาวดาร ภาคที่ ๘๒ เรื่อง พระราชพงศาวดารกรุงสยามจากต้นฉบับของบริติชมิวเซียม กรุงลอนดอน [Collection of Historical Archives, Volume 82: A Royal Chronicle of the Kingdom of Siam from the Original Manuscripts of the British Museum, London] (in Thai) (2nd ed.). Bangkok: Fine Arts Department of Thailand. 1994. ISBN9744190256.
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Foundation (2011). Nāmānukrom phramahākasat thai นามานุกรมพระมหากษัตริย์ไทย [Directory of Thai Kings] (in Thai). Bangkok: Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Foundation. ISBN9786167308258.
Somdet Phra Phonnarat (Kǣo) (1932). Čhunlayutthakārawong Phūk Sǭng จุลยุทธการวงศ ผูก ๒ [Chronicle of Minor Wars, Second Bundle] (in Thai). Bangkok: Sōphon Phiphat Thanākǭn.
Somdet Phra Phonnarat (Kǣo) (2015). Phakdīkham, Sānti (ed.). Phrarātchaphongsāwadān chabap somdet phra phonnarat wat phra chēttuphon trūatsǭp chamra čhāk 'ēkkasān tūakhīan พระราชพงศาวดาร ฉบับสมเด็จพระพนรัตน์วัดพระเชตุพน ตรวจสอบชำระจากเอกสารตัวเขียน [Royal Chronicle: Version by His Holiness Phonnarat of Wat Phra Chettuphon, Checked Against Manuscripts] (in Thai). Bangkok: Rama I Scholarship Foundation Under His Majesty's Patronage. ISBN9786169235101.
Van Vliet, Jeremias (2003). Wongthēt, Sučhit (ed.). Phongsāwadā krung sī 'ayutthayā chabap wan walit phutthasakkarāt song phan nưng rǭi pǣtsip sǭng พงศาวดารกรุงศรีอยุธยา ฉบับวันวลิต พ.ศ. ๒๑๘๒ [Van Vliet Chronicle of Ayutthaya, 2182 BE (1640 CE)] (in Thai). Translated by Wanāsī Sāmanasēn (2nd ed.). Bangkok: Matichon. ISBN9743229221.