Prince Ramesuan

Phra Ramesuan (พระราเมศวร) was a Siamese prince and military commander during the Ayutthaya period in the 16th century. He was a son of Prince Thianracha (later King Maha Chakkraphat) and Suriyothai, thus he was a member of the Suphannaphum Dynasty. He was the first of five children: his younger brother Mahin (later King Mahinthrathirat) and three sisters Sawatdirat (who married Maha Thammaracha of Phitsanulok), Boromdilok and Thepkassatri. After the Burmese–Siamese war of 1563 he was taken as a prisoner of war, and died in captivity.

First war
In 1548 his father ascended the throne as King of Ayutthaya, he immediately became heir and Uparaja of Siam. During the war of 1548 with Burma, Ramesuan together with the King, the Queen, Prince Mahin and Princess Boromdhilok left the walls of the city on their war elephants to engage the Burmese forces led by King Tabinshwehti of Pegu in battle. In the combat with the Viceroy of Prome both his mother and his sister lost their lives. It was recorded in Siamese history that it was Ramesuan who returned his mother's lifeless body to the capital. After a failed siege of the capital city, Tabinshwehti and his forces decided to retreat northward near Mae Sot.

Ramesuan and Maha Thammaracha was ordered to pursue the retreating forces, costing many Burmese lives. Soon the Burmese decided to stand ground and ambush the Siamese forces near Kamphaeng Phet, by dividing their forces on two sides of the road and outflanking Ramesuan's forces. As a result Ramesuan and Maha Thammaracha was captured by the Burmese. This prompted Maha Chakkraphat to negotiate a peace with Tabinshwehti, which resulted in the turning over of two great war elephants and a cease fire. Ramesuan and Thammaracha was released and the Burmese was allowed to retreat unmolested. After the war, the Prince was part of the party inside the Royal court that favoured the dismantling of the walls of the cities of Suphanburi, Lopburi and Nakhon Nayok, this was implemented as a way of depriving a future Burmese invasion with a fortified stronghold, only a day's march from the capital.

Second war
Maha Chakkraphat after the war of 1548, led a massive hunt for wild elephants (for use in future conflicts), which led to the discovery of seven white elephant. A symbol of prestige as well as honour, their discovery was celebrated by the kingdom, as a sign of the king's righteousness and power. In 1563, Bayinnaung (who succeeded Tabinshwehti in 1551) upon hearing of this news, decided to use the elephants as a pretext for an invasion, by requesting for two of Maha Chakkraphat's white elephants. The 'war party' led by Prince Ramesuan urged the king not to fulfill the request and face certain invasion instead.

Following the advice of his heir, Maha Chakkarphat refused and soon enough Bayinnaung invaded Siam in the war of 1563. Unlike the previous invasion the Burmese invaded from the north with the intention of disabling Siamese power in the various cities of the north. Firstly the Burmese invaded and captured Chiang Mai the capital of the independent Kingdom of Lanna, and use her as base in which to descend upon Siam. Soon the towns of Sawankhalok, Sukhothai and Phichai fell to the invading forces. After holding out for many months the city of Phitsanulok surrendered to the Burmese forces, Ramesuan's brother-in-law, Maha Thammaracha decided swear his allegiance to Bayinnaung and threw his support behind the Burmese.

The city of Ayutthaya was able to withstand the siege by Burmese forces for many months. However with the help of Portuguese mercenaries, Bayinnaung was able to constantly bombard the city with cannon fire and flaming projectiles. The inhabitants of the city fearful of the noise and exhausted by the war, petitioned the king to surrender to the enemy and end their suffering. By this time Ramesuan and the war party had lost all credibility within the war council, seeing no other choice the king obliged. And thus Siam became a vassal of Burma, with this submission, Bayinnaung was able to create the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia.

Later life
As part of the peace settlement Ramesuan, Phaya Chakri and thousands of prisoners were taken to Pegu in Burma, as ransom and spoils of war. It was recorded that he was well treated by his captors and lived a peaceful life afterwards. He died sometime before the war of 1568, the exact date having been lost. When his father abdicated in 1568, his younger brother Mahin succeed to the throne as king.