Sunthorn Phu was renowned for composing verse, and his epic poetry is popular in Thailand to the present day.
13 Facts About Sunthorn Phu
2.
Sunthorn Phu's works include Nirat Phukhao Thong, a collection of poems recounting his journey to the Golden Mountain; Nirat Suphan, his journey to Suphan Buri province; and the Phra Aphai Mani saga.
3.
Sunthorn Phu's father became a monk at Ban Kram temple.
4.
Sunthorn Phu's mother became a wet nurse for the royal family.
5.
Sunthorn Phu had an opportunity to work in the palace with his mother, where he fell in love with a lady in the palace named Chan, who was related to the royal family.
6.
Sunthorn Phu later returned to Rayong to visit his father, and wrote a poem about the journey called Nirat Mueang Klaeng which became one of his most famous poems.
7.
Sunthorn Phu wrote the epic poem for his fiancee, Chan.
8.
However, the couple were not married long, divorcing after Sunthorn Phu had an affair with another woman.
9.
Sunthorn Phu became an alcoholic, and, around 1821, was jailed after a fight.
10.
Sunthorn Phu began the poem, Phra Aphai Mani in prison, and published it in installments over the next twenty years.
11.
Sunthorn Phu died in 1855 at a house by the Khlong Chak Phra canal near Wat Rae Rai temple in Taling Chan district, Bangkok.
12.
Sunthorn Phu left behind a legacy of poems that have become famous over time because of their description of Thai history.
13.
In 1986, the 200th anniversary of his birth, Sunthorn Phu was honored by UNESCO as a great world poet.