Vạravoṇśādhirāj

Khun Vorawongsathiratch ( _th. วรวงศาธิราช; RTGS: "Worawongsathirat") was an Ayuthian monarch whose legitimacy to the title of king is denied by Thai historians as he is believed to have been an usurper to the throne. The Royal Chronicles of Ayuthia depicts him as an usurper to the throne for having participated in the royal coronation ceremony and becoming king. Khun Vorawongsathiratch was formerly known as Phun Butr Sri Thep (บุญศรีตำแหน่งพันบุตรศรีเทพ; "Phan Butr Sri Thep (The Position of Boon Sri)"); he is believed to have been a brahmin keeper of the Phra Thep Bidorn Cloister (พระเทพบิดร; "Phra Thep Bidorn"), a religious chamber complex in palace grounds, there carrying out duties such as organising the various rites and ceremonies. Eventually, he was promoted to the position of Khun Jinarāj, and from there ascended the throne as Khun Vạravoṇśādhirāj.

Khun Vạravoṇśādhirāj is believed to have been involved in a clandestine sexual relationship with Dāv Śrīsutācandr, a consort of His Majesty King Jaiyarājādhirāj; the pair plotted and carried out the assassination of the child-king Kǣvfā, Vạravoṇśādhirāj ascension to the throne and the posting of a man named Can of Mahālōk (จันแห่งบ้านมหาโลก; "Chan haeng Ban Maha Lok"), believed to have been his younger brother, to reign as Uparaja.

During his reign certain branches of the court nobility and royal lineage were displeased with the situation. Among them were Khun Birēndradēb, the Hmïn Rājasnēhā, Hlvaṇ Śrīyoś, Khun Indradēb and the Minister for Defence. Thus they conceived a plot to overthrow him, asking him to capture in person a white elephant in Lavō (present-day Lobpurī), one that was too difficult for mahouts and other specialists to capture without his presence. Vạravoṇśādhirāj, suspecting nothing, was then assassinated en route to Lavō, killed by gunshot whilst travelling by boat along the Pla Moh (ปลาหมอ; "Pla Moh") Canal side of the Sra Bua (สระบัว; "Lotus Pool") Canal (the historian Jeremias van Vliet claims it was on the side nearer the Palace Gate. Thus, Vorawongsathitratch reigned for a period of 42 days, succeeded by Phra Maha Chakkraphat

*In The Suriyothai Movie, Khun Vorawongsathiratch is played by Johnny Anfoney

"source: Thai Wikipedia"

ee also

* List of Siamese Monarchs