1685, Sep - A French embassy arrives in Ayutthaya. One of its aims is to convert King Narai to Catholicism. The Siamese king declines to become a Christian but is interested in developing trade with France.
1685, Dec 19 - In a convention between the French embassy and King Narai, the French receive religious and commercial concessions. The French East India Company is given complete liberty of commerce, with extra-territorial jurisdiction given over their staff. The French are also granted a monopoly on the tin trade on Phuket. Singora (present-day Songkhla) is ceded to the French with full power to fortify it.
1685, Dec 22 - A third embassy to France leaves Ayutthaya. It carries a request of King Narai for French experts in various fields, including architecture and defence. It is a matter of historical dispute to what extent Siam wanted French soldiers to man some of its garrisons. As King Narai is interested in developing the relations to France in order to have a counter force against the Dutch, an according request would have made sense.
1686 - Armed conflict develops between Siam and the English East India Company. The English East India Company doesn’t recognize English traders in Thai service and sailing under the Thai flag as it views according activities only as the utilization of loopholes to get by the trade monopoly of the English East India Company. Feeling that verbal protest alone isn’t effective the English East India Company sinks a ship of Captain White who has, on recommendation of Constantine Phaulkon, joined the Thai government service and sails under the Thai flag. The English East India also dispatches two frigates from its possession at the Indian Coromandel Coast to take the port town of Mergui (located on the southern Burmese coast and then a Thai possession) and to put a stop to any trade activities of Englishmen who are not part of the English East India Company. Such free traders are to be captured and court martialed on board of English vessels on sea, the orders say.
1687, Apr 28 - The English East India Company forwards a claim against Siam in the amount of 65,000 ?for damage suffered during the conflict between ships under Thai flag and Golconda, the possessions of the company along the Indian Coromandel Coast. Because of this the King of Ayutthaya orders all Englishmen connected to the company to leave the territory at once.
1687, Jul 4 - Siamese defence troops open fire on the English vessel James, one of the two frigates of the English East India Company trying to capture the port of Mergui and succeed in sinking the ship.
1687, Aug 11 - King Narai, upon advice of Phaulkon, issues a declaration of war against the English East India Company, though not the English government.
1687 - Because of Phaulkon’s service and allegiance to France, he is granted by King Louis a patent of nobility. He becomes a Count and a Knight of the order of St. Michael and St. Peter.
1687, Sep 27 - An embassy from France lands in Ayutthaya bringing with it roughly 600 French soldiers and about 300 skilled workers.
1687, Dec 1 - Siam enters into another treaty with France giving more privileges to the French East India Company.
1688, Jan - The French soldiers become increasingly unpopular with the Thais due to their display of racist and insolent attitudes. Anti-foreign organizations are born and the religious prejudices of the people are likewise aroused. It should be noted that the term used by Thais until today for western foreigners is farang, an abbreviation of the original farangse - the Thai word for the French (Francais in French). The term farang had a negative connotation until after World War II.
