1766, Feb - The Burmese begin their siege of Ayutthaya. King Ekatat again offers his brother Utumpon to lead the defence of the city but this time Utumpon declines. Several months later, one of Ekatat’s leading generals, Chao Phaya Taksin, accompanied by 500 troops, is able to break through the Burmese lines and flees from Ayutthaya. Taksin is the son of a Chinese father and a Siamese mother. His original name is Hai Hong. However, he was given the name Taksin because he had been the governor of the Siamese Tak province for a while.
1767, Apr 7 - After 14 months of siege, Ayutthaya falls and King Ekatat flees. The Burmese know no mercy with the city and its inhabitants. Unlike 198 years before, they are not contented with making Siam a vassal state; much rather it is the Burmese King Mongra’s objective to destroy completely the Siamese capital. Ayutthaya is burned to the ground.
1767, May - Believing that he as achieved his aim of annihilating Ayutthaya, King Mongra retreats with his armies to Burma, just leaving a minimal force behind. In the meantime, Chao Phaya Taksin with his 500 Siamese troops remains in eastern Siamese territories which have not been directly influenced by the Burmese conquest and still have a functioning Siamese administration. The governor of Chantaburi, a province along the sea coast close to Cambodia befriends Taksin’s small army but upon seeing Taksin as a competitor for power, he plans against Taksin’s life. Being informed of this, Taksin attacks and captures the governor. Thus Taksin effectively becomes the ruler over the eastern Siamese provinces.
1767, Oct - Siamese from other parts of the former kingdom join Taksin. In the same month, Taksin attacks the Burmese force at Ayutthaya, killing its general and liberating the former capital from Burmese rule.
1767, Dec - Taksin transfers his capital to Thonburi, where he is crowned as new King of Siam. However, as he does not have a large military force to hold the kingdom together and to enforce central rule, Siam splits into 5 areas which are for a while quite independent from each other. These are:
1) Central Siam under King Taksin (Bangkok, Ratchaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Jaksi, Prachin, Chantaburi and Nakhon Sawan)
2) Peninsular provinces up to Chumphon under Phra Palat
3) Eastern provinces including Khorat under Prince Tep Pipit
4) Phitsanulok and part of Nakhon Sawan under Governor Buang
5) Extreme northern part of Phitsanulok province under King Kuan, the Priest King of Fang
1768, May - King Taksin tries to subdue Phitsanulok but fails. The governor is formally crowned as the King of Phitsanulok. After a week he dies and his son who is supposed to succeed him does not.
1768, Jul - The Priest King of Fang puts Phitsanulok under siege and becomes the ruler of all of northern Siam.
1768 - Because of his failure at Phitsanulok, King Taksin focuses his attention on the Khorat district and invades the area.
1769 - King Rama Tibodi of Cambodia flees to Thonburi to seek refuge after being dethroned by his brother, who thereafter assumes the title King Narai Raja.
1769, Mar - King Taksin returns to Thonburi after a series of successful invasion into the eastern provinces.
1774, Nov - King Taksin moves north.
1775, Jan 16 - King Taksin re-conquers Chiang Mai.
1775, Feb - The Burmese, encouraged by their previous conquest of the kingdom, try to subdue Siam again but fail.
1776, Jan - Near Sukhothai, Siamese troops are defeated by a new Burmese army; the Burmese put Phitsanulok under siege and take the city after 4 months. Before the Burmese continue their repeated conquest of Siamese territory, a new king ascends to the Burmese throne and orders his troops to withdraw from Siam.
1777 - People of Khorat rebel and King Taksin sends General Chakri to deal with them. The rebellion is quelled quickly. Because of this achievement, General Chakri is given the rank of Chao Phaya.
1781 - Siam sends an army under Chao Phaya Chakri to Cambodia.
1782, Mar - A revolt breaks out against King Taksin who is said to have become insane. The rebels succeed and hold the king captive. Chao Phaya Chakri rushes back from Cambodia, but not with the intention of coming to the king’s rescue. A council of high state officials decide to execute the king and to put Chao Phaya Chakri on the throne. They proceed according to their plan, thus giving birth to the Chakri Dynasty which still reigns Thailand today.
