The second fall of Ayutthaya: the war from its beginning to the fall of the city

Two armies

King Hsinbyushin sent two armies at the same time. The northern army under Ne Myo Thihapate first subdued Lanna and Luang Prabang, then came down against the northern towns. The southern army under Maha Nawrahta came in by way of Tavoy, took Mergui and Tenasserim, then crossed over and based itself at Kanchanaburi. On the way the Burmese armies attacked the towns along their routes and gathered supplies. The Siamese sent forces to meet them at several points but could not stop them. The Testimony of the Old Capital's People says Phraya Tak was a commander in the army sent to hold the Mergui and Tenasserim side from the start of the war.

Late in 1765 the Burmese won at Nonthaburi, and in January 1766 Ne Myo Thihapate beat the Siamese army at Pak Nam Prasop and reached the outskirts of the capital. At the end of that month Phraya Phetchaburi and Phraya Tak went out to fight on the plain by Wat Phu Khao Thong, but lost.

A siege without retreat

In earlier wars the armies besieging Ayutthaya usually had to withdraw when the floods came, so the court hoped it would be the same this time. But Maha Nawrahta declared that Ayutthaya was like a fish caught in a net, and had his soldiers grow rice around the city, build boats and set up camps on high ground. In September 1766 Maha Nawrahta moved to the area of Wat Phu Khao Thong, and Ne Myo Thihapate moved to Pho Sam Ton.

In November, at the height of the floods, the court had Phraya Tak, Phraya Phetchaburi and Luang Son Seni station a flotilla at Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon to intercept the Burmese boats. Phraya Phetchaburi took his boats into the attack, was surrounded and was killed. The Royal Autograph version of the chronicle says Phraya Tak and Luang Son Seni kept their boats moored and looked on without going to his aid, then withdrew to Wat Phichai. The court bricked up the city gates and called on the Chinese and the Portuguese to help in the fighting.

The dry season of 1767: the ring tightens

Early in January 1767 Phraya Tak broke out through the siege to the east. The Burmese built about 27 fortified towers around the city with bricks taken from temples, and in March they overran the Chinese camp at Khlong Suan Phlu, the camp at the Portuguese settlement and the stronghold at Wat Chaiwatthanaram. Maha Nawrahta died of illness during the siege, so Ne Myo Thihapate was left in sole command.

At the end of March the Burmese set up camp on the Hua Ro side, built a bridge across the river and dug tunnels under the wall at Maha Chai Fortress. On the afternoon of 7 April they lit fires under the wall. By nightfall the wall had collapsed, and the Burmese broke into the city at about midnight.

After the fall

The city was looted and burned. Great numbers of people were carried off to Burma, among them King Uthumphon and many other members of the royal family. King Ekkathat died, in a way the Thai and Burmese chronicles tell differently. The main Burmese army withdrew because it had to meet the Chinese invasion, leaving Suki to hold the Pho Sam Ton camp. 7 months later King Taksin came back and took that camp.