Burmese–Siamese War (1785–1786)
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The Burmese–Siamese War (1785–1786), known as the Nine Armies' Wars ( th, สงครามเก้าทัพ) in Siamese history because the Burmese came in nine armies, was the first war between the
Konbaung dynasty The Konbaung dynasty ( my, ကုန်းဘောင်ခေတ်, ), also known as Third Burmese Empire (တတိယမြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော်) and formerly known as the Alompra dynasty (အလောင်းဘ ...
of
Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
and the Siamese Rattanakosin Kingdom of the Chakri dynasty. King
Bodawpaya Bodawpaya ( my, ဘိုးတော်ဘုရား, ; th, ปดุง; 11 March 1745 – 5 June 1819) was the sixth king of the Konbaung dynasty of Burma. Born Maung Shwe Waing and later Badon Min, he was the fourth son of Alaungpaya, fo ...
of Burma pursued an ambitious campaign to expand his dominions into Siam. In 1785, three years after the foundation of Bangkok as the new royal seat and the Chakri dynasty, King Bodawpaya of Burma marched massive armies with total number of 144,000 to invade Siam in nine armies through five directions including
Kanchanaburi Kanchanaburi ( th, กาญจนบุรี, ) is a town municipality (''thesaban mueang'') in the west of Thailand and part of Kanchanaburi Province. In 2006 it had a population of 31,327. That number was reduced to 25,651 in 2017. The town ...
,
Ratchaburi Ratchaburi ( th, ราชบุรี, ) or Rajburi, Rat Buri) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in western Thailand, capital of Ratchaburi Province. Ratchaburi town covers the entire ''tambon'' Na Mueang (หน้าเมือง) of Mueang ...
,
Lanna The Lan Na Kingdom ( nod, , , "Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields"; th, อาณาจักรล้านนา, , ), also known as Lannathai, and most commonly called Lanna or Lanna Kingdom, was an Indianized state centered in present-day ...
, Tak, Thalang (Phuket), and the southern Malay Peninsula. However, the overstretched armies and provision shortages deemed the Burmese campaign failed. The Siamese under King
Rama I Phra Phutthayotfa Chulalok Maharaj (, 20 March 1737 – 7 September 1809), personal name Thongduang (), also known as Rama I, was the founder of the Rattanakosin Kingdom and the first monarch of the reigning Chakri dynasty of Siam (now Tha ...
and his younger brother Prince
Maha Sura Singhanat Somdet Phra Bawornrajchao Maha Sura Singhanat ( th, สมเด็จพระบวรราชเจ้ามหาสุรสิงหนาท; , lit: ''His Royal Highness, Maharurasinghanat, Prince of Front Palace'') (1 November 1744 – ...
successfully warded off Burmese invasions. By early 1786, the Burmese had largely retreated. After the truce during the
rainy season The rainy season is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Rainy Season may also refer to: * ''Rainy Season'' (short story), a 1989 short horror story by Stephen King * "Rainy Season", a 2018 song by Monni * '' ...
, King Bodawpaya resumed his campaign in late 1786. King Bodawpaya sent his son Prince
Thado Minsaw Thado Minsaw ( my, သတိုးမင်းစော ; 15 June 1762 – 9 April 1808), also known as Shwedaung Min (), was heir-apparent of Burma from 1783 to 1808, during the reign of his father King Bodawpaya of Konbaung dynasty. As Pri ...
to concentrate his forces on Kanchanaburi in only a single direction to invade Siam. The Siamese met the Burmese at Tha Dindaeng, hence the term "Tha Dindaeng Campaign". The Burmese were again defeated and Siam managed to defend its western border. These two failed invasions ultimately turned out to be the last full-scale invasion of Siam by Burma.


Background

Traditional rivalries and dispute over Mon rebels and the Tenasserim coast led to the Burmese-Siamese wars in the eighteenth century. In 1767, the Burmese of the newly-founded
Konbaung dynasty The Konbaung dynasty ( my, ကုန်းဘောင်ခေတ်, ), also known as Third Burmese Empire (တတိယမြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော်) and formerly known as the Alompra dynasty (အလောင်းဘ ...
invaded An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing con ...
and destroyed the Ayutthaya Kingdom. King Taksin of
Thonburi __NOTOC__ Thonburi ( th, ธนบุรี) is an area of modern Bangkok. During the era of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, its location on the right (west) bank at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River had made it an important garrison town, which i ...
freed Siam from Burmese domination and revived the Siamese kingdom. In 1774, most of the
Lanna Kingdom The Lan Na Kingdom ( nod, , , "Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields"; th, อาณาจักรล้านนา, , ), also known as Lannathai, and most commonly called Lanna or Lanna Kingdom, was an Indianized state centered in present-day ...
, which had been under the Burmese rule for about 250 years, came under Siamese domination with exception of
Chiang Saen Chiang Saen may refer to: * Chiang Saen District, in Chiang Rai Province, northern Thailand * Chiang Saen, a capital of the ancient Lanna The Lan Na Kingdom ( nod, , , "Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields"; th, อาณาจักรล้ ...
still under Burmese rule. During the Burmese-Siamese War (1775-76), Siam nearly succumbed to the Burmese forces led by General
Maha Thiha Thura Maha Thiha Thura ( my, မဟာသီဟသူရ ; also spelled Maha Thihathura; died 1782) was commander-in-chief of the Royal Burmese Army, Burmese military from 1768 to 1776. Regarded as a brilliant military strategist, the general is best k ...
and Siam's manpower was depleted. In 1782, ''Chao Phraya'' Chakri was crowned as the King
Rama I Phra Phutthayotfa Chulalok Maharaj (, 20 March 1737 – 7 September 1809), personal name Thongduang (), also known as Rama I, was the founder of the Rattanakosin Kingdom and the first monarch of the reigning Chakri dynasty of Siam (now Tha ...
of Siam and founded the Chakri dynasty. In the same year, Prince Badon Min dethroned King
Phaungkaza Maung Maung Phaungkaza Maung Maung ( my, ဖောင်းကားစား မောင်မောင် ; 15 September 1763 – 11 February 1782) was the fifth king of the Konbaung Dynasty of Burma, whose reign lasted six days. Maung Maung, the elde ...
and crowned himself as King Bodawpaya. King Bodawpaya began his reign with glorious military conquests. In 1784, he sent his son Prince
Thado Minsaw Thado Minsaw ( my, သတိုးမင်းစော ; 15 June 1762 – 9 April 1808), also known as Shwedaung Min (), was heir-apparent of Burma from 1783 to 1808, during the reign of his father King Bodawpaya of Konbaung dynasty. As Pri ...
to successfully conquer the
Kingdom of Mrauk U The Kingdom of Mrauk-U ( Arakanese: မြောက်ဦး နေပြည်တော်,) was a kingdom that existed on the Arakan littoral from 1429 to 1785. Based out of the capital Mrauk-U, near the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal, ...
or the Arakan Kingdom. After Arakan, King Bodawpaya turned his eyes on Siam as his next military expedition.


Nine Armies War (July 1785 – March 1786)


Burmese preparations

King Bodawpaya began his Siamese expeditions in July 1785. The Burmese forces were drafted from its various
tributary states A tributary state is a term for a pre-modern state in a particular type of subordinate relationship to a more powerful state which involved the sending of a regular token of submission, or tribute, to the superior power (the suzerain). This to ...
, most notably the northern
Shan states The Shan States (1885–1948) were a collection of minor Shan kingdoms called ''muang'' whose rulers bore the title ''saopha'' in British Burma. They were analogous to the princely states of British India. The term "Shan States" was firs ...
of
Hsenwi Theinni or Hsenwi ( shn, ; my, သိန္နီ, ; th, แสนหวี, , ) is a town in northern Shan State of Burma, situated near the north bank of the Nam Tu River and now the centre of Hsenwi Township in Lashio District. It is nort ...
,
Mongnai Möng Nai or Mongnai is a town in Mong Nai Township in the Shan State of Burma. ''Mong'' is equivalent to Mueang. History Prior to World War II, Mongnai State Mongnai, also known as Möngnai, Mone, Mōng Nai or Monē, was a Shan state in ...
,
Kengtung th , เชียงตุง , other_name = Kyaingtong , settlement_type = Town , imagesize = , image_caption = , pushpin_map = Myanmar , pushpin_label_position = left , ...
,
Banmaw Bhamo ( my, ဗန်းမော်မြို့ ''ban: mau mrui.'', also spelt Banmaw; shn, မၢၼ်ႈမူဝ်ႇ; tdd, ᥛᥫᥒᥰ ᥛᥨᥝᥱ; zh, 新街, Hsinkai) is a city in Kachin State in northern Myanmar, south of the s ...
,
Mongkawng Mogaung ( my, မိုးကောင်း) or Möngkawng ( tdd, ᥛᥫᥒᥰ ᥐᥩᥒᥰ; zh, 孟拱) was a Shan state in what is present-day Myanmar. It was an outlying territory, located away from the main Shan State area in present-day ...
and
Hsipaw Hsipaw ( shn, သီႇပေႃႉ; Tai Nuea: ᥔᥤᥴ ᥙᥨᥝᥳ), also known as Thibaw ( my, သီပေါ), is the principal town of Hsipaw Township in Shan State, Myanmar on the banks of the Duthawadi River. It is north-east of Mand ...
. Bodawpaya first sent Mingyi Mingaung Kyaw to lead an army of 10,000 men to
Martaban Mottama ( my, မုတ္တမမြို့, ; Muttama mnw, မုဟ်တၟံ, ; formerly Martaban) is a town in the Thaton District of Mon State, Myanmar. Located on the west bank of the Thanlwin river (Salween), on the opposite side ...
to arrange the provisions and supplies for the massive royal army and for the fleets at
Mergui Myeik (, or ; mnw, ဗိက်, ; th, มะริด, , ; formerly Mergui, ) is a rural city in Tanintharyi Region in Myanmar (Burma), located in the extreme south of the country on the coast off an island on the Andaman Sea. , the estimat ...
. However, supply shortage and line communications were the main issue for the Burmese armies. The Burmese were unable to quickly move the large number of men and provisions in time. King Bodawpaya and his armies left Ava on November 11, 1785. When the king arrived at Martaban on December 20, he found that the supplies did not meet the demands. He ordered Mingyi Mingaung Kyaw arrested from Mergui to be brought to him in chains. After waiting for four days at Martaban, King Bodawpaya was furious that the transportation of men, horses and elephants across the
Salween River , ''Mae Nam Salawin'' ( , name_etymology = , image = Sweet_View_of_Salween_River_in_Tang_Yan_Township,_Shan_State,_Myanmar.jpg , image_size = , image_caption = Salween River in Shan State, Myanmar , map ...
was delayed and had not been completed. He struck a spear at one of his generals, wounding him. Only with the beseeching of the governor of Kawthanti that the royal temper was cooled down. After staying in Martaban for a month, King Hsinbyushin and his royal forces left Martaban on January 19, 1786 towards the Three Pagodas Pass.


Siamese preparations

In November 1785, three Burmese men were captured by the
Karens The Karen, kjp, ပ်ုဖၠုံဆိုဒ်, my, ကရင်လူမျိုး, , th, กะเหรี่ยง ( ), also known as the Kayin, Kariang or Kawthoolese, are an ethnolinguistic group of Sino-Tibetan language ...
of Kyaukkaung. The captured Burmese revealed to Siamese authorities that King Bodawpaya was planning a massive invasion of Siam in multiple directions. King Rama I convened a council of royal princes and ministers to discuss the situation. The Siamese then sent a Burmese man named Nga Gan, who was a former retainer of King Bodawpaya captured by the Siamese, to negotiate with King Bodawpaya at the Three Pagodas. King Bodawpaya, however, was not interested in peace-making and instead inquired Nga Gan about Siamese preparations. The Bangkok court then sent warnings to various cities in Northern and Southern Siam about the impending invasions.


Nine Armies War: Order of battle

From Martaban, Bodawpaya marched his armies through the Three Pagodas Pass. He ordered fourth and fifth divisions to enter through the Three Pagodas first into Kanchanaburi, followed by sixth and seventh divisions of his two sons and then the king's own army settled in Ranti (Alante) River. The vanguard of Minhla Kyawdin and Mingyi Maha Mingaung headed for the old city of Kanchanaburi (known today as "Latya", about fifteen kilometers to the northwest of modern city of
Kanchanaburi Kanchanaburi ( th, กาญจนบุรี, ) is a town municipality (''thesaban mueang'') in the west of Thailand and part of Kanchanaburi Province. In 2006 it had a population of 31,327. That number was reduced to 25,651 in 2017. The town ...
), while the two princes stationed at Tha Dindaeng and Samsop in modern Sangkhlaburi District.


Kanchanaburi Front


Prelude

Due to a lack of supplies, Bodawpaya couldn't commit all his forces, numbering 88,000 men, present at the Kanchanaburi Front. He was only able to send the 4th Division with 10,000 men under Minhla Kyawdin and the 5th Division with 5,000 men under Mingyi Maha Mingaung. Prince Maha Sura Singhanat with 30,000 men marched from Bangkok in December 1785 along with his generals and retinue, reaching Lat Ya ( th, ลาดหญ้า) (called Kanpuri in Burmese) in
Kanchanaburi Kanchanaburi ( th, กาญจนบุรี, ) is a town municipality (''thesaban mueang'') in the west of Thailand and part of Kanchanaburi Province. In 2006 it had a population of 31,327. That number was reduced to 25,651 in 2017. The town ...
. He sent the Mon general ''Phraya'' Mahayotha or Binnya Sein to intercept the Burmese at Kram Chang (in modern
Si Sawat District Si Sawat ( th, ศรีสวัสดิ์, ) is a district ('' amphoe'') in Kanchanaburi province, western Thailand. Geography Neighboring districts are (from the north clockwise) Ban Rai of Uthai Thani province, Dan Chang of Suphanburi ...
). The vanguard Burmese armies of Minhla Kyawdin and Mingyi Maha Mingaung, numbered 15,000 combined, marched through Sai Yok and crossed from
Khwae Noi River The River Kwai (), more correctly Khwae Noi ( th, แควน้อย, , 'small tributary') or Khwae Sai Yok (, ), is a river in western Thailand. It rises to the east of the Salween in the north-south spine of the Bilauktaung range near, bu ...
to
Khwae Yai River The Khwae Yai River ( th, แม่น้ำแควใหญ่, , ), also known as the Si Sawat ( ), is a river in western Thailand. It has its source in the Tenasserim Hills and flows for about through Sangkhla Buri, Si Sawat, and Mueang ...
, meeting Binnya Sein at Si Sawat. Binnya Sein was defeated and the Burmese continued to Latya at the foothills of Khao Chon Kai. They later set up camps. The Siamese army soon arrived and the Battle of Latya ensued.


Battle of Thung Lat Ya

Maha Sura Singhanat sent a Siamese army to attack the Burmese, but the Burmese were able to repel the Siamese attack. Both sides started building towers to place cannons on top to bomb each other. Both sides suffered heavy losses. To dissuade the Siamese soldiers from retreating, Maha Sura Singhanat built 3 large mortars and announce that if anyone retreats, they will be crushed by them. Prince Maha Sura Singhanat noticed the Burmese supply lines were thin so he sent 500 men under the command of Phraya Siharatdecho, Phraya Tai Nam, and Phraya Phetchaburi to go ambush the Burmese supply lines at Phu Krai Sub-district. These men were too afraid to attack the Burmese army so they hid. They were later caught and beheaded. Maha Sura Singhanat then sent a force of 1,500 men under Khun Noen to ambush the Burmese supply lines. This devastated the Burmese supply lines.


A stalemate

The battle reached stalemate and was dragged on to January 1786. Being afraid that his brother would lose the engagement, King Rama I decided to march his 20,000-men army from Bangkok in January 1786 to support Maha Sura Singhanat Lat Ya, but the prince then convinced the king to return to Bangkok because he was confident of winning the engagement.


Breaking the stalemate

The Burmese side, upon observing the royal army arriving from Bangkok, believed that the Siamese was being reinforced. Prince Maha Sura Singhanat then had his army secretly march out of Lat Ya at night and march into Lat Ya again in the day, tricking the Burmese into believing that the Siamese was reinforced. With supply lines disrupted, the Burmese at Lat Ya were starved and deprived of morale. The Burmese killed horses for meat and dug for plant roots to eat. On 18 February 1786, the Siamese staged the all-out attack against the Burmese lines. Minhla Kyawdin and Mingyi Maha Mingaung the Burmese generals, unable to withstand Siamese attacks anymore, retreat. King Hsinbyushin decided to give up the campaigns and ordered the general retreat of the Burmese armies on February 21 , 1786.


Aftermath

After two months of battle, the Siamese was able to repel the Burmese invasion at Lat Ya. Prince Maha Sura Singhanat ordered the Siamese to follow the retreating Burmese as far as Sangkhlaburi where the armies of the two Burmese princes stationed. Prince Thiri Damayaza and Prince Thado Minsaw reported to King Bodawpaya at Ranti River about the defeat. King Bodawpaya then ordered the general retreat. A large number of Burmese were captured as prisoners. Thai sources mentioned that the Burmese suffered around 6,000 casualties as a result of the battle.


Ratchaburi Front


Prelude

Nemyo Nawratha divided his 10,000-men army into 3 groups. Nemyo Nawratha himself led an army of 4,000 men through the Bong Ti Pass (in modern Sai Yok District, Kanchanaburi Province) and stationed at Chom Bueng. Nemyo Nawratha also sent his subordinate Dawei Wun to lead an army of 3,000 men to enter Ratchaburi through Suan Phueng. Dawei Wun and his army stayed at Khao Ngu, just five kilometers to the northwest of the town of Ratchaburi itself. They sustained themselves by harvesting coconuts and other fruits in the region. The remaining 3,000 troops were sent to join the 1st Division under Maha Thiri Thihathu at Myeik. ''Chao Phraya'' Thamma Boonrot, who led the Siamese army of 5,000 men in Ratchaburi town, was still unaware of these Burmese advances.


Battle of Khao Ngu

After defeating the Burmese at Lat Ya in February 1786, Prince Maha Sura Singhanat then marched to Ratchaburi. He sent his two generals ''Phraya'' Kalahom Ratchasena and ''Phraya'' Chasaenyakorn ahead as vanguard. The two generals met the Burmese at Khao Ngu and defeated Dawei Wun and the Burmese army in the Battle of Khao Ngu. Dawei Wun retreated towards Suan Phueng and was followed by the Siamese. Nemyo Nawratha at Chom Bueng, upon seeing the defeat of Dawei Wun at Khao Ngu, also decided to retreat as soon as he had received orders from King Bodawpaya.


Aftermath

Prince Maha Sura Singhanat was angry that the Siamese general ''Chao Phraya'' Thamma Boonrot had allowed the Burmese to penetrate such deep into Ratchaburi. The prince petitioned to King Rama I for Thamma Boonrot to be executed. However, as Thamma Boonrot had been a supporter in his ascension, King Rama I ordered his life to be spared. Thamma Boonrot was then whipped and paraded through the camps in shame with his head shaved. He was also stripped of his title and position as the Minister of Palatial Affairs.


Northern Front


Siege of Lampang

Prince Thado Thiri Maha Uzana ventured to recruit men from the Shan States and marched the Burmese army of 30,000 men to Chiang Saen. The Burmese governor of Chiang Saen called Aprakamani also provided resources. As
Chiang Mai Chiang Mai (, from th, เชียงใหม่ , nod, , เจียงใหม่ ), sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the second largest city in ...
had been abandoned since 1776, the main outpost of the Lanna Kingdom against the Burmese was
Lampang Lampang, also called Nakhon Lampang ( th, นครลำปาง, ) to differentiate from Lampang province, is the third largest city in northern Thailand and capital of Lampang province and the Mueang Lampang district. Traditional names for La ...
. Prince Thado Thiri Maha Uzana and Aprakamani marched from Chiang Saen to attack Lampang in December 1785, leading to the Siege of Lampang. Prince
Kawila Kawila ( th, กาวิละ, , nod, , 31 October 17421816), also known as Phra Boromrachathibodi ( th, พระบรมราชาธิบดี), was the Northern Thai ruler of Chiangmai Kingdom and the founder of Chetton Dynasty. Orig ...
, the ruler of Lampang, defended the city.


Preludes to the Battle of Pakphing

Prince Thado Thiri Maha Uzana also sent his ''Sitke'', Nemyo Sithu, to lead an army of 3,000 from Lampang down south towards the Upper Chao Phraya Plains. The governors of Sawankhalok, Sukhothai and
Phitsanulok Phitsanulok ( th, พิษณุโลก, ) is an important, historic city in lower northern Thailand and is the capital of Phitsanulok Province. Phitsanulok is home to Naresuan University and Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University, as well a ...
, due to manpower shortages, decided to abandon their cities and flee into the jungles as they were unable to raise armies against the Burmese. Nemyo Sithu marched through these cities unopposed and stationed his camps at Pakping, twenty kilometers to the south of the city of Phitsanulok. The 9th Division of Nawratha Kyawgaung also entered the Chao Phraya Plains from the west through Rahaeng or modern Tak. The governor of Tak surrendered and was captured to Burma.


Battle of Pakphing

Prince Anurak Devesh marched his army of 15,000 men from Bangkok to encamp at Nakhon Sawan. He sent ''Chao Phraya'' Mahasena Pli to
Phichit Phichit ( th, พิจิตร, เมือง) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in central Thailand, capital of Phichit Province. It covers the whole ''tambon'' Nai Mueang of Mueang Phichit district, an area of 12.017 km². As of 2005 it ...
just south of Pakphing to face Nemyo Sithu. The Siamese army of Prince Anurak Devesh in Upper Chao Phraya Plains was at risk of being attacked from two directions; from Pakphing by Nemyo Sithu in the north and from Tak by Nawratha Kyawgaung from the west. Prince Anurak Devesh ordered ''Phraya'' Phraklang Hon to stay at
Chai Nat Chai Nat ( th, ชัยนาท, ) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in central Thailand, capital of Chai Nat province. It covers the whole ''tambon'' tambon Nai Mueang and parts of Ban Kluai, Tha Chai and Khao Tha Phra, all in Mueang Chai Nat ...
to defend the rear lines against possible Burmese attacks from Tak. However, as both the Burmese and Siamese took their positions, neither sides engaged. Prince Maha Sura Singhanat and his generals returned from Ratchaburi to Bangkok in March 1786. King Rama I and Prince Maha Sura Singhanat devised the second-phase plan, in which King Rama I would lead armies to the north and Prince Maha Sura Singhanat to the south. King Rama I sent message to his nephew Prince Anurak Devesh at Nakhon Sawan, urging him to initiate the attacks against the Burmese. King Rama I marched the royal army of 30,000 men to Phichit to supervise campaigns in the northern theater, leaving Bangkok on March 10, 1786. As the king went to Phichit, Prince Anurak Devesh also moved to Phichit. King Rama I ordered his another nephew
Prince Thepharirak Somdet Phra Samphanthawong Thoe Chaofa Krommaluang Thep-harirak ( th, สมเด็จพระสัมพันธวงศ์เธอ เจ้าฟ้ากรมหลวงเทพหริรักษ์, 1759–1805), birth name Tan ( ...
and Phraklang Hon at Chai Nat to march against Nawratha Kyawgaung at Tak. Prince Anurak Devesh and Mahasena Pli at Phichit eventually engaged with Nemyo Sithu at Pakphing, leading to the Battle of Pakphing on 18 March 1786. The Burmese were defeated and Nemyo Sithu withdrew westward. The Burmese fled to the west crossing the
Nan River The Nan River ( th, แม่น้ำน่าน, , ) is a river in Thailand. It is one of the most important tributaries of the Chao Phraya River. Geography The Nan River originates in the Luang Prabang Range, Nan Province. The province ...
where they were massacred by the pursuing Siamese and the bodies filled the river.


Relieving the Siege of Lampang

After the Battle of Pakping, King Rama I ordered ''Chao Phraya'' Mahasena Pli, together with the king's half younger brother Prince Chakchetsada, to lead the Siamese army to the north to relieve the Siege of Lampang. When Prince Thepharirak sent Phraklang Hon had reached
Kamphaeng Phet Kamphaeng Phet is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in central Thailand, former capital of the Kamphaeng Phet Province. It covers the complete ''tambon'' Nai Mueang of the Mueang Kamphaeng Phet district. As of 2020, it has a population of 28,817. ...
, however, Nawratha Kyawgaung at Tak retreated after the Burmese defeat at Pakping and the engagements did not occur. As both the Burmese of the north and west had retreated, the king and Prince Anurak Devesh returned to Bangkok. Prince Kawila of Lampang had held out the town against the Burmese siege for four months. Mahasena Pli and Prince Chakchetsada reached Lampang in March 1786. The Siamese attacked the besieging Burmese at the rear and the Burmese Prince Thado Thiri Maha Uzana withdrew to Chiang Saen. Lampang was finally relieved from the Burmese siege. The Siamese was then able to repel the Burmese invasions in the Northern Theater.


Thalang Front

As the Siamese forces were concentrated on Western and Northern Fronts, the Southern Siamese cities were defenseless due to the lack of manpower and their governors were left on their own against the Burmese invasion. The Burmese general Maha Thiri Thihathu ("Kinwun Mingyi" in Thai sources) sailed the massive fleet of 10,000 men from Mergui to the Siamese Andaman Coast in December 1785. Maha Thiri Thihathu divided his armies in two routes; he sent Wungyi to lead a fleet of 3,000 men southward to attack Phuket, while himself led the rest of the army eastward across the Malay Peninsula to ravage the coast of Gulf of Siam.


Siege of Thalang


Background

The modern city of
Phuket Phuket (; th, ภูเก็ต, , ms, Bukit or ''Tongkah''; Hokkien:普吉; ) is one of the southern provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, the country's largest island, and another 32 smaller islands of ...
had not yet been founded (which was founded in 1827). The largest settlement on the Phuket Island back then was then the town of Thalang in the northern part of the island (in modern Thalang District). The governor of Thalang had just died from illness. Lady Chan, wife of the late governor of Thalang, was being imprisoned at
Phang Nga Phang Nga ( th, พังงา, , ) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in southern Thailand, capital of Phang Nga Province. The town covers the whole ''tambon'' Thai Chang of Amphoe Mueang Phang Nga, Mueang Phang Nga district. As of 2005 it had a ...
for some charges. Siege of Thalang Wungyi the Burmese general quickly attacked and took the towns of Takua Pa and Takua Thung on the Andaman Coast. When the Burmese sacked Phang Nga, Lady Chan escaped and returned to Thalang. As Thalang was left with no governor, Chan and her sister Lady Muk, together with her son Thien and her cousin Thongpun the vice-governor, organized the local defense against the Burmese invasion. They established themselves at Phra Nang Sang Temple and Thung Nang Dak and managed to be armed with two great canons.
Francis Light Captain Francis Light ( – 21 October 1794) was a British explorer and the founder of the British colony of Penang (in modern-day Malaysia) and its capital city of George Town in 1786. Light and his lifelong partner, Martina Rozells, were th ...
, a British merchant also supported the Thalang defenders with arquebuses. The Burmese general Wungyi led the assault on Thalang in February 1786. The defenders relied on their heavy canons to ward off the Burmese invaders. After about one month of continuous fighting, the Burmese finally retreated on March 13, 1786. Today, Lady Chan and Lady Mook are revered as national heroines.


Southern Thailand Front


Prelude

Maha Thiri Thihathu sailed his 7,000-men fleet to disembark at
Ranong Ranong ( th, ระนองPronunciation) is a town ('' thesaban mueang'') in southern Thailand, capital of the Ranong Province and the Mueang Ranong District. The town covers completely the area of the '' tambon'' Khao Niwet (เขานิ ...
, continuing to Kraburi and crossing the Tenasserim Hills at Pakchan to attack
Chumphon Chumphon ( th, ชุมพร, ) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in southern Thailand, capital of the Chumphon Province and Mueang Chumphon District. The city is about 463 kilometers (288 miles) from Bangkok. As of 2005 it had a population of ...
. Maha Thiri Thihathu sent his ''Sitke-gyi'' Nemyo Gonnarat with 2,500 men ahead as vanguard. The governors of Chumphon and
Chaiya Chaiya ( th, ไชยา, ) is a former capital district ('' Amphoe mueang'') of Surat Thani province, Southern Thailand. The main town is Talat Chaiya. Geography Neighboring districts are (from the south clockwise): Tha Chang and Kapoe of ...
decided to abandon their towns in the face of Burmese invasion due to manpower shortage. Maha Thiri Thihathu and Nemyo Gonnarat sacked both towns and continued southward to
Nakhon Si Thammarat Nakhon Si Thammarat Municipality ( th, เทศบาลนครนครศรีธรรมราช, ; from Pali ''Nagara Sri Dhammaraja'') is a municipality (''thesaban nakhon'') in Southern Thailand, capital of Nakhon Si Thammarat pro ...
(Ligor). ''Chaophraya'' Nakhon Phat the governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat managed to raise an army of 1,000 men to march against the Burmese at the Tapi River in modern
Phunphin District Phunphin ( th, พุนพิน, ) is a district ('' amphoe'') in Surat Thani province in the south of Thailand. Tha Kham is the principal town of the district. In 2014, the population was 73,067. Geography Neighboring districts are (from nort ...
. Maha Thiri Thihathu, however, had a Siamese man from Chaiya to yell at the Ligorian army that Bangkok had already fallen to the Burmese. ''Chao Phraya'' Nakhon Phat was convinced that Bangkok had fallen because by then no reinforcements had arrived from Bangkok. Nakhon Phat decided to abandon the city of Ligor and, with his family, escaped to Khao Luang – a mountain to the west of Ligor. The inhabitants of Ligor also fled into the jungles as resistance against the Burmese collapsed. Maha Thiri Thihathu took Nakhon Si Thammarat with ease, plundering the city and enslaving the native Siamese. After taking three consecutive towns on the coast of Gulf of Siam, Maha Thiri Thihathu headed for
Phatthalung Phatthalung (, ) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in southern Thailand, capital of Phatthalung Province. The town covers ''tambon ''Tambon'' ( th, ตำบล, ) is a local governmental unit in Thailand. Below district ('' amphoe'') and prov ...
next. The inhabitants of Phatthalung, upon seeing the fate of their compatriots to the north, also fled the town. A local monk named Chuai encouraged the inhabitants of Phatthalung to fight against the Burmese. Chuai the monk managed to raise an army of 1,000 men and, with himself riding on a palanquin, marched against the Burmese at Cha-uat. However, the Burmese retreated before the engagements begun because the Bangkokian army was attacking from the north.


Battle of Chaiya

Prince Maha Sura Singhanat sailed his fleet of 20,000 men from Bangkok to the south, departing on March 4, 1786. The prince reached Chumphon and ordered his generals ''Phraya'' Kalahom Ratchasena and ''Phraya'' Chasaenyakorn to lead the vanguard to Chaiya. Maha Thiri Thihathu also sent ''Sitke-gyi'' Nemyo Gonnarat to Chaiya. Both sides engaged in the Battle of Chaiya. The Siamese was able to encircle the Burmese but the heavy rainfall neutralized most of the Siamese canons. Nemyo Gonnarat managed to break through the encirclement and fled westward and was closely pursued by the two Siamese generals. Many Burmese were captured as war prisoners and were brought to the prince at Chumphon. Burmese general Maha Thiri Thihathu at Ligor, upon seeing the defeat of his subordinate at Chaiya, decided to lead the Burmese to retreat westward through
Krabi Krabi ( th, กระบี่, ) is the main town in the province of Krabi (''thesaban mueang'') on the west coast of southern Thailand at the mouth of the Krabi River where it empties in Phang Nga Bay. As of 2020, the town had a population of ...
and back to Mergui. Prince Maha Sura Singhanat then marched to reclaim the city of Nakhon Si Thammarat. Prince Maha Sura Singhanat ordered ''Chao Phraya'' Nakhon Phat to be brought to him for the crime of cowardice. However, Nakhon Phat was pardoned due to the inevitability of his situation and was assigned to restore the city. As the lasts of the Burmese were expelled from Southern Siam, the Nine Armies' War came to the end.


Conclusion

King Bodawpaya of Burma attempted to inflict the pincer attack from many directions on Central Siam and Bangkok. However, his many armies were expected to conjoin but failed to cooperate. The lack of provision supplies was the major disadvantage on the Burmese side, as the Burmese troops were starved at Kanchanaburi. The Siamese also adopted less defensive strategy than the previous wars. Siamese forces were sent to deal with the Burmese at the borders instead of locking themselves in fortifications and allowing the Burmese to penetrate. Despite being inferior in numbers, the Siamese were able to fend off the Burmese invasions. After the war, King Rama I awarded and promoted those who made contributions. His nephew Prince Anurak Devesh was awarded with the title ''Krom Phra Ratchawang Lang'' or the Prince of the Rear Palace. Lady Chan and Lady Muk, the heroines of Thalang, were given titles ''Thao'' Thep Krasattri and ''Thao'' Si Sunthon respectively. Chuai the monk who led the resistance against the Burmese at Phatthalung was made ''Phraya'' Tukkaraj the vice-governor of Phatthalung.


Tha Din Daeng campaign

After the truce during the
rainy season The rainy season is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Rainy Season may also refer to: * ''Rainy Season'' (short story), a 1989 short horror story by Stephen King * "Rainy Season", a 2018 song by Monni * '' ...
, King Bodawpaya resumed his campaign in late 1786. King Bodawpaya sent his son Prince
Thado Minsaw Thado Minsaw ( my, သတိုးမင်းစော ; 15 June 1762 – 9 April 1808), also known as Shwedaung Min (), was heir-apparent of Burma from 1783 to 1808, during the reign of his father King Bodawpaya of Konbaung dynasty. As Pri ...
to concentrate his forces on Kanchanaburi in only a single direction to invade Siam. The Siamese met the Burmese at Tha Dindaeng, hence the term "Tha Dindaeng Campaign". The Burmese were again defeated and Siam managed to defend its western border.


Prelude

After many defeats in early 1786, King Bodawpaya retreated to Martaban. However, he retained some of his forces on the Tenasserim Coast waiting for the new campaigns. The traditional wars were usually conducted in
dry season The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The te ...
as in the rainy seasons the lands were swampy and ravaged with diseases, unsuitable for marching and encampment. King Bodawpaya ordered the Burmese forces at Tavoy to retreat to Martaban under the command of Minhla Kyawdin, while Maha Thiri Thihathu was ordered to retreat from Mergui to Tavoy. The king then marched back to
Dagon Dagon ( he, דָּגוֹן, ''Dāgōn'') or Dagan ( sux, 2= dda-gan, ; phn, 𐤃𐤂𐤍, Dāgān) was a god worshipped in ancient Syria across the middle of the Euphrates, with primary temples located in Tuttul and Terqa, though many attes ...
where he worshipped the famous
Shwedagon Pagoda The Shwedagon Pagoda (, ); mnw, ကျာ်ဒဂုၚ်; officially named ''Shwedagon Zedi Daw'' ( my, ရွှေတိဂုံစေတီတော်, , ) and also known as the Great Dagon Pagoda and the Golden Pagoda is a gilded stupa ...
and returned to Ava. The Burmese armies stationed at Martanban and Tavoy, waiting for the rainy season to be over to conduct new invasions of Siam. In September 1786, King Bodawpaya resumed his Siamese campaigns. He sent his eldest son and heir, Prince Thado Minsaw or Prince Nanda Kyawdin (known in Thai sources as Einshe Maha
Uparaja Uparaja or Ouparath, also Ouparaja ( my, ဥပရာဇာ ; km, ឧបរាជ, ; th, อุปราช, ; lo, ອຸປຮາດ, ''Oupahat''), was a royal title reserved for the viceroy in the Buddhist dynasties in Burma, Cambodia, and ...
) to Martaban to organize the new invasion of Siam.


Preparations

Prince Nanda Kyawdin or Einshe Uparaja took the lead of the army of 50,000 men at Martaban, with Wundauk Nemyo Kyawzwa as his ''Sitke'' and Mingyi Nanda Kyawdin as ''Bogyok''. King Bodawpaya made sure that the provision shortage would not hinder the campaign again. He ordered the grain rations of Arakan and the whole Lower Burma to be sent to the frontlines. The Burmese also established strong supply lines with supply outposts stationed all along the way from Martaban to Kanchanaburi. Unlike the previous invasion, the Burmese concentrate the forces in single direction at Kanchanaburi instead of dispersing the forces in many directions. Prince Nanda Kyawdin sent Minhla Kyawdin, the Burmese veteran who had been defeated by the Siamese at the Battle of Latya seven months earlier, to lead the vanguard of 30,000 ahead into Kanchanaburi. The two Burmese vanguard commanders left Ava for Martaban on September 7, 1786. Emboldened by their successes earlier in the year, the Siamese were much more confident in their responses to the Burmese invasion. Both King Rama I and his brother Prince Maha Sura Singhanat marched to meet the Burmese at Kanchanaburi. *Prince Maha Sura Singhanat, along with his two generals ''Phraya'' Kalahom Ratchasena and ''Phraya'' Chasaenyakorn and ''Chao Phraya'' Rattanapipit the ''Samuha Nayok'', marched ahead the army of 30,000 men. *King Rama I himself and his nephew Prince Anurak Devesh of the Rear Palace led the royal army of 30,000 men. The Siamese royal forces left Bangkok on February 1, 1787 for Kanchanaburi to the west to face the invading Burmese.


The Battle (February 1787)

The Burmese armies entered Kanchaburi through the Three Padodas Pass or Payathonzu. Minha Sithu divided his forces to station at Tha Dindaeng and Samsop, both in Sangkhlaburi, Kanchanaburi. Prince Nanda Kyawdin stayed at the Three Padogas. Prince Maha Sura Singhanat marched to Sai Yok in Kanchaburi and encamped. He ordered his generals ''Phraya'' Kalahom Ratchasena and ''Phraya'' Chasaenyakorn to march ahead as vanguard to Sangkhlaburi. When King Rama I had reached Sai Yok, Prince Maha Sura Singhanat moved to Sangkhlaburi. The Siamese armies concealed their movements in the jungles to stage the surprise attack on the Burmese. After long marches, the two sides finally met at Tha Dindaeng and Samsop on 21 February 1787. The fighting lasted for two days until Minhla Kyawdin was quickly defeated, again for the second time, on February 23. This short war was called “ Tha Din Daeng campaign”. Minhla Kyawdin retreated back to Payathonzu. Prince Nanda Kyawdin, upon seeing the defeat of Minhla Kyawdin, also retreated back to Martaban. The Siamese forces burnt all the Burmese grain supplies in Kanchanaburi The campaign is commemorated by a park established by the
Royal Thai Army The Royal Thai Army or RTA ( th, กองทัพบกไทย; ) is the army of Thailand and the oldest and largest branch of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. History Origin The Royal Thai Army is responsible for protecting the kingdom's ...
from the town of
Kanchanaburi Kanchanaburi ( th, กาญจนบุรี, ) is a town municipality (''thesaban mueang'') in the west of Thailand and part of Kanchanaburi Province. In 2006 it had a population of 31,327. That number was reduced to 25,651 in 2017. The town ...
.


Aftermath

Despite the continuation of heated conflict between Burma and Siam in the next decades, including several Siamese attempts to recapture the Tenasserim Coast and a failed 1809 Burmese invasion to seize Thalang (renamed
Phuket Phuket (; th, ภูเก็ต, , ms, Bukit or ''Tongkah''; Hokkien:普吉; ) is one of the southern provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, the country's largest island, and another 32 smaller islands of ...
) Island and to contest Siamese control over the central peninsula, Bodawpaya's two failed invasions ultimately turned out to be the last two full-scale attempts by Burma to invade central Siam and to destroy Siam as a political entity.


See also

* Burmese–Siamese wars * Burma–Thailand relations


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burmese-Siamese War (1785-86) Conflicts in 1785 Conflicts in 1786 1780s in Siam 18th century in Burma Konbaung dynasty Wars involving the Rattanakosin Kingdom Burmese–Siamese wars 1785 in Asia 1786 in Asia 1780s in Asia 1780s in Burma