Somdet Phra Bawonratchao Maha Sakdiphonlasep ( th, สมเด็จพระบวรราชเจ้ามหาศักดิพลเสพ; 21 October 1785 – 1 May 1832) was the

viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...

appointed by

Nangklao Nangklao ( th, พระบาทสมเด็จพระนั่งเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว, ; 31 March 1788 – 2 April 1851), birth name Thap ( th, ทับ), also styled Rama III, was the third king of Siam u ...

as the titular heir to the throne as he was the uncle to the king. Prince Arunotai was the son of King Phutthayotfa Chulalok (

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 concubine Nuiyai. He was later appointed the '' Kromma Muen'' Sakdiphonlasep and became acquitted with his half-nephew ''Kromma Muen'' Chetsadabodin during the wars with Burma. ''Kromma Muen'' Chetsadabodin was crowned as King Nangklao (Rama III) in 1824 and, consequently, Sakdiphonlasep was made the "Second King". He led the Siamese armies into

Isan Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan/ th, อีสาน, ; lo, ອີສານ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pali ''īsānna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provin ...

to fight with King Anouvong of Vientiane in 1826. Sakdiphonlasep ordered the construction of the Bowonniwet Temple (lit. temple where the Front Palace lived) where Prince Mongkut (future

Rama IV Mongkut ( th, มงกุฏ; 18 October 18041 October 1868) was the fourth monarch of Siam (Thailand) under the House of Chakri, titled Rama IV. He ruled from 1851 to 1868. His full title in Thai was ''Phra Bat Somdet Phra Menthora Ramathibod ...

) became an abbot. In 1829, he ordered the Buddha Chinnasri – a 900-year-old Sukhothai Buddha statue from

Pitsanulok 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 as ...

– to be floated along the river and placed at the Bowonniwet Temple. His funeral procession was held 2 April 1833, with cremation set for seven days later. The king, through the Phraklang, invited US diplomat Edmund Roberts and party to witness the procession, which Roberts describes in journal. Roberts notes that one of the sons of the wang-na watches at the temple, near the funeral pile, night and day, till the body is consumed; the ashes of the consumed body are then thrown into the river with many ceremonies; and the unconsumed bones are then delivered to the priests, and made into household gods. (Roberts refers to Buddhist monks as "Talapoy," from

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

''talapão'' from Burmese ''tala poi'' our lord.)

References

Wat Borworn Sathan Sutthawat
, - {{Thai princes 18th-century Chakri dynasty 19th-century Chakri dynasty Front Palaces Thai male Phra Ong Chao 1785 births 1832 deaths