Taksin
King of Siam · Thailand · On the map · Historical Figures · Lived 1734 to 1782 · aged 47
He pulled a shattered kingdom back from Burmese occupation, crowned himself king of a new capital, then lost his throne to the general who founded the dynasty that still rules Thailand.
Taksin is read about 345 times a day, in 43 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 9 November 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 114 days, one point a day.
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Photos 12
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 village of Thonburi, on the right (west) bank of the Chao Phraya (here in the lower left corner of the map), facing the fortress of Bangkok, during the 1688 Siege of Bangkok[27]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Siege_of_Bangkok_1688_Fortress_Map_Verquains.png/1280px-Siege_of_Bangkok_1688_Fortress_Map_Verquains.png)
The village of Thonburi, on the right (west) bank of the Chao Phraya (here in the lower left corner of the map), facing the fortress of Bangkok, during the 1688 Siege of Bangkok[27]
About this person
Taksin rose as an aristocrat in Ayutthaya, then became the pivotal military leader after the kingdom's catastrophic fall to Burma in 1767. With Ayutthaya destroyed, he established Thonburi as the new seat of power and spent his reign beating back fresh Burmese invasions while forcing Lanna, Laotian principalities, and Cambodia under his control. Between campaigns he built roads, dug canals, restored temples, and pushed to revive literature, drama, and the arts - issuing regulations to collect texts and promote education. In 1782 his long-time friend Maha Ksatriyaseuk took him in a coup, executed him, and assumed the throne as founder of the Chakri dynasty. Taksin was later granted the title Maharat - the Great.
