32 Facts About Constantine Phaulkon

Constantine Phaulkon was a Greek adventurer who became chief minister to King Narai of the Ayutthaya Kingdom and assumed the Thai noble title "Chao Phraya Wichayen".

Constantine Phaulkon was born to Greek parents within Assos Castle in the region of Erisso on northern Cephalonia.

At age 13, Phaulkon left Cephalonia on an English ship and spent the next ten years of his life living in London.

In 1669, Constantine Phaulkon sailed to Bantam on an English ship, the Hopewell as assistant gunner and enlisted as a clerk in the English East India Company.

Constantine Phaulkon made friends with senior Company official Richard Burnaby and trader George White as well as his younger brother Samuel.

Constantine Phaulkon became fluent in the Siamese language in just a few years.

In 1681, Lek introduced him to the court of King Narai and Constantine Phaulkon began work as an interpreter, quickly gaining royal favor.

Constantine Phaulkon proceeded to place the cannon in the hold of a boat and then marked where waterline ended up.

Constantine Phaulkon then removed the cannon and filled the boat with rice until it reached the same mark.

In 1683, Constantine Phaulkon suggested to King Narai to construct the fort of Mergui in the modern polygonal style, which was popular in Europe, which was strongly opposed by Kosa Lek.

In 1686, Constantine Phaulkon was made a commander in the royal forces during the suppression of the Makassar Revolt.

Constantine Phaulkon personally led the troops during the fighting and was almost killed in combat.

Constantine Phaulkon, called Monsieur Constance by the French and addressed cher ami by their king, was their main ally for several years.

Constantine Phaulkon drafted a letter requesting Frenchmen to be sent from France, whom he would to use his power to place in political and military offices, as his supporters, and under his patronage.

Constantine Phaulkon requested that King Louis XIV send troops and warships to secure the southern port city of Singora, which has been conceded to France by King Narai.

Constantine Phaulkon became a prime counsellor to the king in 1685 and expressed a desire to designate a Catholic successor to King Narai, most likely, Phra Pi, who was Narai's adopted son and a Catholic convert, as well as scheming to convert the Kingdom to Catholicism, albeit peacefully, by winning the masses over through charity and alms.

Constantine Phaulkon wanted a successor who would uphold amiable relations with France and offer privileges to the French, which would guarantee his political standing and security in a court that has grown increasingly hostile to his influence and power.

Constantine Phaulkon selected Kosa Pan to lead as an embassy diplomat.

Constantine Phaulkon was able to obtain an order from King James II forbidding Englishmen serving on foreign ships, due to the excess of Englishmen abandoning Company service for preferential treatment in the Ayutthaya Kingdom.

Constantine Phaulkon was proud, cruel, pitiless, and with inordinate ambition.

Constantine Phaulkon supported the Christian religion because it could support him; but I would never have trusted him in things in which his own advancement was not involved.

When King Narai became terminally ill, a rumor spread that Constantine Phaulkon wanted to use the designated heir, Phra Pi, as a puppet and actually become ruler himself, according to Thai historical records this was in fact a credible claim.

Constantine Phaulkon was summoned to the palace, where he and his 21 men were surrounded by the Siamese soldiers and disarmed.

Constantine Phaulkon was taken to the palace dungeon where he would be restrained and brutally tortured.

Constantine Phaulkon said nothing about saving Phaulkon, and Phetracha assumed that the French had abandoned Phaulkon.

Constantine Phaulkon was made to hang Phra Pi's head around his neck and Phetracha declared him guilty of high treason.

Constantine Phaulkon was placed on the silver palanquin mounted on his elephant, and was led out by Phetracha's men to the area of Wat Sak temple in the evening, where Luang Sorasak decapitated and disemboweled him as witnessed by Father de Beze.

Constantine Phaulkon's remains were buried in a shallow grave in front of Wat Sak but later on that same day, the remains were dug up and eaten by scavenging dogs.

The different interpretations of Phetracha's motivation for ordering the arrest and execution of Constantine Phaulkon have made his position in Thai history somewhat controversial.

Constantine Phaulkon was the central character in the 2013 historical fiction book The Constantine Phaulkon Legacy by Walter J Strach III.

Constantine Phaulkon was portrayed by the Thai-Scottish actor Louis Scott in the 2018 Thai drama Buppesunniwas and received critical acclaim for his performance.

Constantine Phaulkon was depicted as a complex character and as cruel, abusive, cunning, and overly-ambitious but capable of compassion, love, and remorse.