King Naresuan Victory
Monument stands tall at the 21st Infantry Regiment.
Chonburi marked Royal Thai Armed Forces Day with a
commemoration of King Naresuan, who on the same date in 1593 felled a
Burmese prince in the fabled “elephant battle” of Nong Sarai.
Gov. Khomsan Ekachai presided over the Jan. 18
ceremony before the King Naresuan Victory Monument at the 21st Infantry
Regiment. Soldiers, bureaucrats and local residents attended, laying
flowers at the statue to pay homage to one of Thailand’s most revered
monarchs.
Naresuan was king of the Ayutthaya Kingdom from 1590
until his death in 1605. He was known for his campaigns to free Siam
from Burmese rule and his numerous wars helped Siam reach its greatest
territorial extent and influence.
During the Chonburi ceremony, Khomsan retold the
romanticized version of the 1593 battle that has come to be known as “Yuddhahatthi.”
According to the fable, which has been retold and embellished over the
centuries, Naresuan was about to invade Cambodia when he had to change
plans to beat back an attack from Burmese Prince Minchit Sra.
During the battle, Naresuan’s elephants went mad and
ran into the midst of the Burmese. Siamese legend contends the Burmese
tried to fool the defenders with Minchit imposters, but Naresuan was
able to point out the real general and challenged him to a one-on-one
battle on the back of elephants. The Siamese king suffered a cut to the
head, but fought back, slashing the Burmese prince to death on Jan. 18,
1593, which later was designated a holiday to commemorate Thai forces
from all centuries. (CPRD)
