Muang Khuan Kra Buri

Muang Khuan Kra Buri is an old name associated with Chanthaburi, a town on the eastern coast of the Gulf of Siam. Inland, the ancient settlement of Phaniat preserves stone inscriptions and religious sculpture showing the influence of Khmer and Indian traditions. The Chanthaburi River runs from the hills towards the sea, linking the old settlement with the coast.

In 1767, after the fall of Ayutthaya, the Siamese commander Taksin seized Chanthaburi and made the eastern coast a base for gathering troops and supplies. From there he set out to challenge the Burmese forces occupying the central plain. His success established the foundations of a new Siamese kingdom at Thonburi, and made Chanthaburi an important place in the story of its recovery.