Page 285 - A History of Siam

A HISTORT OF SIAU 269

these Princes, and his was enhanced the
unpopularity by
assistance, both of men and provisions, which he forced
his people to render to the Siamese expedition against
Wiengchan. Disturbances broke out, ending in the
execution of King Rama Raja and his four sons, and
Prince Ong Eng, the seven-year-old son of the ex- King
Narai, was set up as King, under the guardianship of a
certain Prince Talaha. The infant King was merely
a puppet of the anti-Siamese party in Cambodia, and King
Taksin thought the occasion favourable to increase
Siamese control. Early in 1781 an army of 20,000 men,
under Chao P'ya Chakri and Chao P'ya Surasih, was
sent to Cambodia. They were accompanied by the

King's son, Prince In P'itak, who was to be crowned as
King of Cambodia, when the country had been subdued.
The Regent of Cambodia fled from his capital, Bant^ay
Pech, and went to Saigon to ask for the aid of a Cochin-
Chinese army. Prince In P'itak occupied Bant^ay Pech,
and a Cochin-Chinese army advanced to Phnom Penh,
but before any serious fighting took place Chao P'ya
Chakri received news of grave events which made him
decide to hurry back to Bangkok.
After the of the for Cambodia, King
departure army
Taksin 's eccentricities had become more
pronounced.
He that he was into a and
imagined developing Buddha,
commanded the to him divine honours.
priests pay
but refused.
Some, through fear, assented, many These,
to the number of over five hundred, were
cruelly flogged,
and the head them were and
priests among degraded
imprisoned.
The suffered still more As has before
laity severely.
been the trade of Siam was at that time
explained, export
a Government The to
monopoly. King began suspect
of on illicit trade. As he
everybody carrying accepted