Following a coup d'état, in which the pro-Western king Narai was replaced by Phetracha, Siamese troops besieged the French fortress in Bangkok for four months.

Only a few French missionaries were allowed to remain, while trade continued on a limited level with other European countries such as Portugal, the Dutch Republic and England.

King Narai had sought to expand relations with the French, as a counterweight to Portuguese and Dutch influence in his kingdom, and at the suggestion of his Greek councilor Constantine Phaulkon.

[7] The military wing was led by General Desfarges, and the diplomatic mission by Simon de la Loubère and Claude Céberet du Boullay, a director of the French East India Company.

Desfarges had instructions to negotiate the establishment of troops in Mergui and Bangkok (considered as "the key to the kingdom")[7] rather than the southern Songkla, and to take these locations if necessary by force.

[11] The disembarkment of French troops in Bangkok and Mergui led to strong nationalist movements in Siam directed by the Mandarin and Commander of the Elephant Corps, Phra Phetracha.

[6] The Siamese courtiers resented the dominance of the Greek Phaulkon in state affairs, along with his Japanese wife Maria Guyomar de Pinha and European lifestyle, whilst the Buddhist clergy were uneasy with the increasing prominence of the French Jesuits.

[14] On 2 June, General Desfarges, commander of the Bangkok fortress, was invited to Lopburi by Phetracha,[14] and according to the account of one of his officers named De la Touche[15] received promises of significant personal gains, such as the naming of his eldest son, Marquis Desfarges, to a major position in the Siamese government, equivalent to that which Constantine Phaulkon had held.

[19] Desfarges returned to Bangkok on 6 June accompanied by two mandarins, including Kosa Pan, the former ambassador to France, to whom he was supposed to remit the fortress.

According to Vollant de Verquains, on that same day, in a council of war with his officers, the decision was taken not to obey Phetracha, but rather to resist him and start an armed confrontation.

Seeing that the position would be difficult to defend, especially since communications would become nearly impossible at low tide, the French decided to regroup in the larger fortress, on the left bank of the river.

[25] Soon after they left the smaller fort, Siamese troops invested it and began to set up cannons and mortars to bombard the French positions.

[30] Since two ships of the king of Siam were out at sea being commanded by some of his officers, Desfarges sent a longboat to try to reach them, and possibly call the French in India (Pondicherry) for help.

Overwhelmed, Saint-Christ self-exploded his own ship, leading to the death of hundreds of Siamese and most of the French crew except two, who were ultimately remitted to Desfarges.

[33] After that time, the tension around the French in Bangkok subsided, with fewer cannon shots being traded, and exchanges of food and services being resumed to a certain level.

[36] Desfarges finally negotiated in the end of September 1688 an agreement to leave the country with his men on board the Oriflamme and two Siamese ships, the Siam and the Louvo, provided by Phetracha.

[38] Phaulkon's Catholic Japanese-Portuguese wife, named Maria Guyomar de Pinha,[39] who had been promised protection by being ennobled a countess of France,[13] took refuge with the French troops in Bangkok, where she was able to stay from October 4–18, 1688.

[41] Desfarges finally left with his men to Pondicherry on 13 November, on board the Oriflamme and two Siamese ships, the Siam and the Louvo, provided by Phetracha.

[38][48] On April 10, 1689, Desfarges – who had remained in Pondicherry – led an expedition to capture the tin-producing island of Phuket in an attempt to restore some sort of French control in Siam.