Chaiyaphum

Chaiyaphum lies on the western Khorat Plateau, close to the hills that separate it from central Siam. In 1817 Lao settlers led by Nai Lae, an official of King Anouvong of Vientiane, established a community in the area. When Anouvong rose against Siam in 1826, Lae resisted his former lord and was killed. His loyalty to Bangkok became a central episode in the town's remembered history.