1548 - The 13-year old King Kaeofa, who is actually pretty powerless, plots to do away with the lover of his mother. However, his mother’s lover discovers the plot and does away with the young king. In consequence, King Kaeofa’s younger brother, the 7-year old Prince Srisin ascends the throne. The lover of his mother who meanwhile was elevated to the minor noble rank of Khun, becomes Regent in behalf of the young child king - in spite of the fact that he murdered the preceding king. It takes just a few weeks, and the dowager queen Tao Sri Sudachan and her lover, Khun Waraniongsu, dispose Tao Sri Sudachan’s son from the throne.
1548, Nov 11 - Khun Waraniongsu proclaims himself King of Ayutthaya.
1548 Dec - Khun Waraniongsu, his wife Tao Sri Sudachan and their newly born daughter are killed in a palace revolt led by a certain Khun Pirentoratep. The palace conflicts of that time find their continuation even in modern Thai politics, marred by probably more coup d’etats than the modern history of any other country. Khun Pirentoratep could be seen as the first of a line of exceptionally skillful coup plotters of which Thailand will have a considerable number as late as the second half of the 20th century.
1549, Jan 19 - Khun Pirentoratep and his followers install the former regent in behalf of the underage King Kaeofa, Prince Tienraja, the brother of King Prajai, to the throne of Ayutthaya. Tienraja takes under the royal name Chakrapat. For himself, Khun Pirentoratep gets the position of Governor of Phitsanulok, traditionally the second most powerful position in Siam as the Governor of Phitsanulok basically controls the northern part of the realm. Not enough with this, Prince Tienraja bestows on Khun Pirentoratep (who made him King Chakrapat) the old and prestigious title Prince Maha Tammaraja and gives him his daughter, Princess Wisutkasatri as wife. Beyond any doubt, king maker Khun Pirentoratep (Prince Maha Tammaraja) is the second most powerful man in the realm.
1549, Aug - A 4-month war breaks out with the Burmese, who invade the territory of Siam and besiege Ayutthaya. It is the first of several Burmese invasions and Thai-Burmese wars, stretching over about 50 years. It is believed that the first Burmese invasion was triggered by the palace conflicts in Ayutthaya as the Burmese might have thought that Siam, weakened by dynastic conflicts, would be easy prey. Unfortunately for Siam, the period of dynastic conflicts in Ayutthaya coincides with a period in which the neighboring Burma is ruled by a sequence of very able warrior kings. First it is the Burmese King Tabengshweti who rules from 1531 to 1550 and achieves the unification of a territory that roughly resembles present-day Burma by subduing a number of Burmese, Mon (in the south) and Shan principalities (in the north). After King Tabengshweti is poisoned in 1550, he is succeeded by his general and brother-in-law who becomes King Bhueng Noreng (also recorded under the name King Hanthawadi) and is no less warrior than Tabengshweti.
1550 - Because of the previous Burmese invasion, King Chakrapat orders the fortification of Ayutthaya by constructing high walls enclosing the capital.
1561 - Rebellion in Siam is induced by Prince Srisin, the youngest son of King Prajai who had been deposed by his mother Tao Sri Sudachan and passed over when Prince Tienraja was made King Chakrapat by Khun Pirentoratep (Prince Maha Tammaraja) and his cohorts. After the palace revolt of 1548 brought about by his natural mother, Prince Srisin was adopted by King Chakrapat. Having been accused of plotting against the King’s life already three years earlier (1558) at age 16, he was kept under strict surveillance. At the age of 19, when about to be ordained as a Buddhist monk (1561), he makes his escape, groups his followers and attacks the palace. He is killed in the same incident by the men of Prince Mahin, the natural son of King Chakrapat.
1563 - In the second Burmese invasion, the King of Burma, Bhueng Noreng, with an army supported by the forces of several vassal states reaching as far east as the principality of Laos marches into Siamese territory. Historical sources put the strength of the Burmese army at up to 200,000 soldiers. At first, the towns of Sawankalok and Pijai are seized and many hostages are taken.
