Period Two

Ayuthaya Kingdom

The Sukhothai Dynasty After Naresuan

The successor of King Naresuan the Great, King Ekatotsarot enforced trade relations with western countries and declared for the first time a tax system on siam. Already in 1605 AD, Dutch merchants came to Ayuthaya and King Ekatotsarot cemented good relations with sending a delegation in 1608 AD to Holland. In 1609, Jesuit missionaries came to Siam but the reign of King Ekatotsarot ended in 1610 AD with his death.

The next king was Si Saowapak but his reign lasted only one year. He was succeeded by Prince Intharaja who ascended the throne as King Songtham. During his reign Ayuthaya made first contact with the English who established in 1612 AD a first trade factory. As war about trade relations broke out between the Dutch and the English in 1618 AD, also Siam go affected but fortunately in 1620 AD a peace agreement was reached.

As King Songtham dies in 1628 AD because of a sickness, he appoints his son Prince Chettha as his successor who stayed only one year king and was succeeded by his brother Atitthayawong who did not make it even to one year of reign. As both were underaged they just followed a tradition of Siam not to be successful as regents. The reign of the Sukhothai dynast had come to an end. The next king was the person whose intrigues had made it possible to end the era of this dynasty, Phaya Sriworawong, first ascending to the rank of Chao Phaysa Kalahom and then becoming King Prasat Thong of the Prasat Thong Dynasty.