He became governor of Bangkok and a general in the Siamese army, and left Siam shortly before King Narai fell ill and was deposed by the 1688 coup d'état.

Claude de Forbin was born in the village Gardanne in the Provence, as a member of a family established in Marseille in the 14th century.

[1] There, he killed the chevalier de Gourdon in a duel, and was sentenced to death by the Parliament of Aix; he managed to obtain a grace and joined the Navy under his brother's identity.

[2] During the administration of the Greek adventurer Phaulcon in that country, the project was formed of introducing the Christian religion and European civilisation, and the king sent an embassy to Louis XIV.

His position, however, was soon made untenable by the jealousy and intrigues of the minister Phaulcon; and at the end of two years he left Siam, reaching France in 1688.

Claude de Forbin was afterwards fully engaged in active service, first with Jean Bart in the war with England,[1] when they escorted a convoy; attacked by superior forces, Forbin, aboard the Jeux, and Jean Bart, aboard the Railleuse, sacrificed themselves in a delaying action to allow the convoy the escape.

During the War of the Spanish Succession, he led a three-ship of the line division in the Adriatic, where he blockaded Venice, bombed Trieste and ransomed Fiume.