· Narai (1633–1688), King of Ayutthaya (in what is now modern Thailand)
Somdet Phra Narai (Thai: 1633 – 11 July 1688) or Somdet Phra Ramathibodi III (Thai: was the king of Ayutthaya from 1656 to 1688 and arguably the most famous Ayutthayan king. His reign was the most prosperous during the Ayutthaya period and saw the great commercial and diplomatic activities with foreign nations including the Persians and the West. During the later years of his reign, Narai gave his favorite – the Greek adventurer Constantine Phaulkon – so much power that Phaulkon technically became the chancellor of the state. Through the arrangements of Phaulkon, the Siamese kingdom came into close diplomatic relations with the court of Louis XIV and French soldiers and missionaries filled the Siamese aristocracy and defense. The dominance of French officials led to frictions between them and the native mandarins and led to the turbulent revolution of 1688 towards the end of his reign. Narai’s reign was also known for a small war with England in 1687 and the invasion of Burmese Lanna in 1662.
Nevertheless, the presence of numerous foreigners from the French Jesuits to the Persian delegates has left historians with rich sources of material on the city of Ayutthaya and its courtly life in the seventeenth century that otherwise would not have survived the complete destruction of the capital in 1767.
Succession
Prince Narai was born in 1633 to King Prasat Thong
والده
( King Prasat Thong (Thai (reigned 1629–1656)

and his Queen Sirikalayani who was a daughter of Songtham. Prasat Thong had just usurped the throne from the ruling Sukhothai dynasty in 1629 and founded the dynasty of his own. Narai had an elder half-brother Prince Chai and an uncle Prince Sri Sudharmmaraja. Upon Prasat Thong’s death in 1656, Prince Chai succeeded his father as King Sanpet VI.
However, it was Thai tradition that gave brothers a higher priority over sons in succession. Prince Sudharmmaraja plotted with his nephew Prince Narai to bring Sanpet VI down. After nine months of ascension, Sanpet VI was executed in a coup. Narai and his uncle marched[1] into the palace and Sri Sudharmmaraja crowned himself king. Sri Sudharmmaraja appointed Narai as the Uparaja or the Front Palace. However, Narai himself was also an ambitious prince who had requested the Dutch for support against his uncle. Sri Sudharmmaraja’s rule was weak and he fell under the control of Chao Phraya Chakri – an ambitious mandarin who also wanted the throne himself.
In 1656, Narai and his uncle finally alienated each other. Sri Sudharmmaraja had affections of Narai’s sister Princess Rajakalayani. He ordered his soldiers to enclose her residence and himself invade the house. The princess hid in the book chest and was moved to the Front Palace were she met her brother.
Enraged at his uncle behavior, Prince Narai decided to take actions. Prince Narai drew his supports from the Persian and Japanese mercenaries that were largely persecuted during the reign of his father. Among the Siamese he got his brothers and the Okya Sukhothai as supporters. On the Day of Ashura the commemorating Persian army stormed the palace along with the Japanese. The prince engaged in personal battle with his uncle until the latter fled to the Rear Palace. Sri Sudharmmaraja was captured and was brought to execution at Wat Kok Phraya in October 1656.