Key Facts
- Duration
- Four months (1688)
- Siamese troops mustered
- ~40,000
- French defenders
- ~200
- Military result
- Inconclusive; resolved by negotiation
- Context
- Part of Siamese Revolution of 1688
Strategic Narrative Overview
Following the coup, Siamese forces numbering approximately 40,000 troops, supported by cannon, surrounded the French fortress in Bangkok, which was held by around 200 French soldiers. Despite the overwhelming numerical advantage, the four-month siege produced no decisive military outcome. The heavily outnumbered French garrison held its position, and neither side was able to force a conclusive military resolution.
01 / The Origins
In 1688, the Kingdom of Siam underwent a political upheaval known as the Siamese Revolution. The pro-Western king Narai, who had cultivated close ties with France and allowed French troops to garrison fortresses at Bangkok and Mergui, was deposed in a coup d'état led by Phetracha. The new regime was hostile to the French presence and sought to expel French forces from Siamese territory, triggering the siege.
03 / The Outcome
A negotiated settlement was reached, allowing the French forces to depart Siam peacefully. France, soon drawn into the War of the League of Augsburg and later the War of the Spanish Succession, had no capacity to reassert its presence. Siam subsequently adopted a cautious stance toward Western powers, admitting only a handful of French missionaries and maintaining limited trade with Portugal, the Dutch Republic, and England.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.