SONGTHAM

Somdet Phra Boromma Trailokanat Songtham (full Thai title: สมเด็จพระเจ้าทรงธรรม; RTGS: Somdet Phra Chao Songtham) was the King of Ayutthaya from 1611 to 1628 of the House of Sukhōday. His reign was marked as prosperity after the First Fall of Ayutthaya and saw the commencement of trade with foreign nations especially the Dutch and the Japanese. Songtham filled his guards with foreign mercenaries most notably the Japanese – Yamada Nagamasa.
Sources varied in Songtham’s origin. The Royal Secretariat’s Chronicles (1912) named him Prince Si Sin but other chronicles named him Prince Inthraraja. The prince was a minor prince born to Ekatotsarot with one of his concubines. As a minor prince, Inthraraja pursed religious ordination and became a respectful monk with the name Pimol Anantapreecha.
Ekatotsarot died in 1610, to be succeeded by incapable and one-eyed Sri Saowapak. Sri Saowapak’s weak rule gave opportunities for the nobility to usurp the throne. Here the Royal Chronicles told that Songtham’s adoptive son Chameun Sri Sorarak conspired a rebellion and marched to the palace in 1611 and held a ceremony for Sri Saowapak’s execution at Wat Kok Phraya. However, other chronicles said that it was Songtham’s younger brother Si Sin who did this. Nevertheless, as a popular religious prince, Songtham was given the Ayutthayan throne.
Songtham appointed Sri Soralak the Uparaja but he died only a week after. The most prominent achievement in his reign was the discovery of Buddha's Footprint at Saraburi. Songtham ordered the construction of a temple over the footprint - the footprint itself can still be seen today. From Songhtam onwards, Ayutthayan kings paid annual respect to the Buddha's Footprint in a grand river procession.
Songtham sent four embassies (about 20 people each) to the Japanese Shogun in 1621, 1623, 1626, 1629.