1688, Mar - In Lopburi, King Narai becomes seriously ill; one of his generals, Phra Petraja, becomes the most powerful man in the realm, acting in the following weeks from Lopburi where he virtually keeps the ailing king a prisoner. Clearly following two objectives, to put himself on the throne and to expel the foreigners, he lures into a trap King Narai’s adopted minor son, Phra Piya, and has him killed.
1988, Jun 5 - Phaulkon is executed for treason, allegedly having conspired to put Phra Piya on the throne and having aimed at the regency. In the following days, Phra Petraja lures to Lopburi two brothers of King Narai, Prince Chao Fa Apaitot and Prince Chao Fa Noi, having them both killed two days after their arrival. To expel the French, Phra Petraja orders a siege on the French fortification at Bangkok, then only a minor settlement aside from having a French fort. Note: all of this still happens during the lifetime of King Narai.
1688, Jul 11 - King Narai dies, leaving behind no close relatives. Phra Petraja crowns himself King of Ayutthaya.
1688, Sep 30 - All French troops leave Siam after negotiations with the new Siamese king. Phra Petraja takes European missionaries as hostages, pending the safe return of a Siamese embassy still in Europe.
1689, Dec - The Siamese embassy to Europe returns. In response, King Phra Petraja releases all his European hostages and restores religious freedom but implements a policy of eliminating foreign political influence in the kingdom.
1690, Jun - A rebellion breaks out in Nakhon Nayok, a territory of Ayutthaya. The rebellion is headed by Tam Tien, an impostor claiming to be a prince. The rebellion is quelled when Tam Tien is captured and later executed. However, the territory becomes largely unpopulated because the people flee for fear of being implicated and punished.
1691, Dec - Khorat and Nakhon rise in rebellion but are quickly brought back under the central rule of Ayutthaya.
1697 - Siam’s sovereignty over Cambodia is acknowledged by Cambodia when its King Sadit sends a white elephant to King Phra Petraja.
1698, Oct - A French envoy is sent to Ayutthaya with the offer of a new treaty, but the offer is declined by King Phra Petraja. France gives up her political interest in Ayutthaya.
1699 - Another rebellion breaks out in Khorat, headed by Bun Kuan, a fanatic that had won the favor of the local governor who provides some 4,000 men to support the rebellion. Khorat surrenders after a short while; a large number of participants in the rebellion are executed.
1699 - King Phra Petraja interferes with the affairs of the united Laotian principality of Luang Prabang and Wieng Chan (present-day Vientiane), dividing the country again into two separate principalities under Siamese overrule.
1703 - King Phra Petraja falls ill and experiences himself the sorrow he caused the sick King Narai. Luang Sorasak, his son from a marriage before he became king, lures into a trap the 14-year old Prince Chao Phra Kwan, one of the later sons of Phra Petraja who had married after his ascend to the throne King Narai’s sister as well as King Narai’s daughter. Needless to say, that the trap served to kill Prince Chao Phra Kwan. Enraged, Phra Petraja proclaims a distant nephew, Chao Phra Pijaisurindr, as his heir. But upon the king’s death, Prince Chao Phra Pijaisurindr hurries to offer the throne to Luang Sorasak. The second youngest son of King Phra Petraja, Prince Tras Noi, escapes certain death by becoming a monk. Luasang Sorasak crowns himself king and assumes the official name Sanpet VIII. However, to the Thai people he becomes Phrachao Sua, meaning King Tiger, because of his wild manners.
1709 - King Phrachao Sua dies and for a change, accession to the throne by his son, King Taisra, is not marred by any killing of rivals.
