Bang Rachan

The village of Bang Rachan (Thai: บางระจัน, pronounced [bāːŋ rā.t͡ɕān]) was in the north of Ayutthaya, the old capital of Siam, the predecessor state of modern Thailand.

The village is remembered in Thai popular history for its resistance against the Burmese invaders in the Burmese–Siamese War (1765–1767) that ended the Ayutthaya Kingdom.

According to Thai tradition, the Burmese northern invasion army led by General Ne Myo Thihapate was held up for five months at Bang Rachan.

One of the more iconic images is that of Nai Thong Min, who becomes drunk and furiously rides a gigantic water buffalo into battle against the Burmese.

Burmese accounts describe the invasion as having a deliberate and predetermined ambition, credited to King Mang Ra (Hsinbyushin).

Other sources and analysts of the period, most notably Damrong Rajanubhab, the father of Thai history, consider this to be historical revisionism and believe that the Burmese did not initially invade with the intention of permanent conquest nor with any successful campaign on Ayutthaya itself.

During the raid, the Burmese were taken by surprise when they were attacked while resting and were almost entirely wiped out by the force led by Nai Ten, who had been elected the main leader.

News of their victory spread quickly across the country and resulted in more people coming out of hiding to join the resistance movement, swelling the number of reinforcements for Bang Rachan to 1,000 warriors.

The warriors were organised along the lines of professional military ranks but were disadvantaged by their lack of weapons they had for their battles against the Burmese soldiers.

While victorious again for Bang Rachan, the leader Nai Ten, was shot in the knee during the ambush, an event which had grave consequences for the village.

The fortunes for Bang Rachan remained positive under Nai Chan Nuad Keao, whose selection as the new leader, increased the number of warriors and achieve even greater levels of organisation for their forces.

At one stage, one of the leaders, Nai Thong Min, who was drunk at that time, was furious to see cannons being fired towards them, mounted a water buffalo and tried to attack the Burmese forts with a small force in what remains one of the most iconic folktales and legends of Bang Rachan.