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Siamese Embassies to Europe

by H. R. H. Prince Damrong.

(First published in "A Collection of
Chronicles," vol. 29)
Translated into English by L. J. Robbins, b.a.

In the past, when Ayut'ya was the capital of Siam, Siamese envoys went to Europe on many occasions. The first embassy recorded was sent to Holland in the reign of King Ekat'osarot to deliver messages and enter into friendly relations with Prince Maurice of Orange. This was in the year 1607. After that, there were others in succeeding reigns; but of them all none were equal to those exchanged between King Narai and King Louis XIV of France. Louis XIV always desired to perpetuate the memory of his magnificence in every possible way. When Siamese envoys came to have audience of him at Versailles, he had medals struck and pictures painted to commemorate the occasion, and ordered detailed accounts to be written of the French embassies to Siam and of the embassy of the Siamese (Kosa Pan) to France. These various French records have been translated into other lang-

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