Boromakot

Somdet Phra Chaoyuhua Boromakot (Thai: สมเด็จพระเจ้าอยู่หัวบรมโกศ) or Somdet Phra Boromaracha Dhiraj III (Thai: สมเด็จพระบรมราชาธิราชที่ 3) was the king of Ayutthaya from 1732 to 1758. His reign was the last blooming period of Ayutthaya as the kingdom would fall nine years after his death.

Prince Porn was the son of Phra Chao Suea. His elder brother, Prince Petch, succeeded the throne as Tai Sa in 1708. Porn was then appointed as the Front Palace. Upon the death of Tai Sa, however, Tai Sa decided to give his throne to his son, Prince Abhay, instead of his brother. In 1732, Tai Sa died and the civil war commenced. Porn led his armies against his newphews, Prince Abhay and Prince Poramet. The civil war was bloodshed and torn Ayutthaya apart. With the victory ensured, Porn executed his nephews and took the throne as King Boromakot.

Because the Samuha Kalahom had lent the support to Prince Abhay, Boromakot removed the power of Samuha Kalahom by depriving its authorities over southern Siam and transferred the power to Krom Tha instead. The Samuha Kalahom remained as a mere military figurehead.

In spite of the bloodshed that preceded his reign, Boromakot was known for his reconstruction of Buddhist temples and the peace and prosperity Ayutthaya finally enjoyed again. In 1753, Boromakot sent two Siamese monks to rehabitilate Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

In 1741, Boromakot made his son Dharmmadhibet the Front Palace. Dharmmadhibet proved to be an able prince and was a poet. However, Dharmmadhibet had an affair with one of Boromakot's concubines, Princess Sangval and Princess Nim - a crime of great severity. The lovers got caught in 1746 and three of them were beaten. The Front Palace was beaten for 120 times and the two concubines were beaten each for 30 times. The Front Palace died while he was beaten and Princess Sangval died 3 days later. Princess Nim was survived, but she was banished from the court.

Boromakot then appointed his third son, Duea (later became Uthumporn), as the Front Palace. Boromakot skipped his second son, Ekatat, because he thought that Ekatat was not suitable to be a king. Ekatat always claiming his rights to the throne then and the struggles of princes for the throne would contribute to the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767 during the reign of Ekatat.