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Thailand: Wall and gateway, Phra Narai Ratchaniwet (King Narai’s Palace), Lopburi

Somdet Phra Narai (1633 - 11 July 1688) or Somdet Phra Ramathibodi III was the king of Ayutthaya from 1656 to 1688. His reign was the most prosperous during the Ayutthaya period and saw great commercial and diplomatic activities with foreign nations including the Persians and the West.

During the latter years of his reign, Narai gave the Greek adventurer Constantine Phaulkon so much power that technically he became the chancellor of the state. Through Phaulkon's arrangements, the Siamese kingdom came into close diplomatic relations with the court of Louis XIV and French soldiers and missionaries filled the Siamese aristocracy and defense.

The dominance of French officials led to frictions between them and the native mandarins and led to the turbulent revolution of 1688 towards the end of his reign. Narai’s reign was also known for a small war with England in 1687 and the invasion of Burmese Lanna in 1662.

The old town of Lopburi dates back to the Dvaravati era (6th - 13th century). It was originally known as Lavo or Lavapura. After the foundation of the Ayutthaya Kingdom in the fifteenth century, Lopburi was a stronghold of Ayutthaya's rulers. It later became a new royal capital during the reign of King Narai the Great of the Ayutthaya kingdom in the middle of the 17th century. The king stayed here for about eight months a year. Today, Lopburi is renowned for its Crab-Eating Macaques that live amid the Khmer temple ruins of the city.