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The March towards Ava and Naresuan's Death at Mueang Hang, 1605
Naresuan's last campaign headed north to block the King of Ava, who was extending his power into the Shan (Tai Yai) states. But the war never actually took place, because Naresuan fell ill and died at Mueang Hang on 25 April 1605. Where Mueang Hang was is still debated to this day.
The ≈ sign marks an approximate location. Borders on the map are modern and shown for orientation only. Campaign routes are approximate lines drawn from the chronicles and modern studies, not the exact path taken. Dashed lines are enemy armies.
A new enemy at Ava
After the First Toungoo dynasty collapsed, the King of Ava (Nyaungyan) gradually brought Upper Burma together again, then marched into the Shan States as far as Hsenwi. This advance threatened Shan towns that had close ties with Ayutthaya, so Naresuan prepared a great army to go north and stop him.
The route north
The chronicles say the expedition set out by boat from Pa Mok, then went ashore and marched by way of Kamphaeng Phet to Chiang Mai. At Chiang Mai the army rested and reorganised for about a month, then split into two columns: Naresuan headed towards Mueang Hang, while Ekathotsarot headed towards Mueang Fang. An English-language encyclopedia puts the combined strength as high as about 200,000 men.
Illness at the Thung Kaeo camp
On reaching the Mueang Hang area, the royal army made camp at Thung Kaeo. There Naresuan fell ill with what the chronicles call hua ralok, usually explained as a boil that broke out on his face. His condition worsened rapidly, and Ekathotsarot arrived in time to be at his side before he died.
Naresuan died on 25 April 1605, aged about 49 or 50. This date is calculated from Monday, the eighth day of the waxing moon in the sixth lunar month of Chula Sakarat 967; some older works gave it as June 1604.
After his death
Ekathotsarot called off the campaign, brought the king's body back to Ayutthaya and succeeded him on the throne. There are several theories about where the royal cremation took place in Ayutthaya, including Wat Worachettharam on the city island, Wat Worachet Thep Bamrung outside the island, and Wat Sop Sawan.
The Shan, meanwhile, have a long-held tradition that part of the king's ashes is enshrined in a stupa at Mong Ton in the Shan State.
Where was Mueang Hang?
There are three main theories. The first is the Fang district of Chiang Mai province, which appears in older works and in an English-language encyclopedia. The second is Wiang Haeng district, which has a subdistrict called Mueang Haeng and is proposed by some historians citing Burmese documents. The third is Mueang Hang in Myanmar's Shan State, across the border from Chiang Dao district and north of the Kiu Pha Wok pass.
In Mueang Hang subdistrict, Mong Ton township, there is a stupa that local people believe marks the place where he died. The original stupa was destroyed, and a new one was built between 2018 and 2022. A Naresuan University study published in 2024, which collected oral accounts from the Shan, concludes that the place of his death was Mueang Hang, not Wiang Haeng.
Reading the route on the map
The line on the map runs from Ayutthaya through Pa Mok, Kamphaeng Phet and Chiang Mai to Mueang Hang. The Mueang Hang point uses the Shan State theory as its main location and is placed approximately, as no official coordinates have been published. Fang and Wiang Haeng are explained under the debates.
Waypoints along the route
| Waypoint | Coordinates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ayutthaya | 14.348, 100.561 | |
| 2. Pa Mok (departure by boat) | 14.490, 100.448 | |
| 3. Kamphaeng Phet | 16.480, 99.520 | Approximate location. Approximate coordinates of present-day Kamphaeng Phet town. |
| 4. Chiang Mai (army regroups) | 18.795, 98.999 | |
| 5. Mueang Hang (Shan State theory) | 20.100, 98.950 | Approximate location. Approximate position of Mueang Hang subdistrict, Mong Ton township, between the Kiu Pha Wok pass in Chiang Dao district and Mong Ton town (20.300, 98.933). Other theories place it in Fang district or in Wiang Haeng district (19.559, 98.636). |
Where historians still disagree
- Location of Mueang Hang: (1) the Fang district of Chiang Mai province, according to older works and an English-language encyclopedia; (2) Wiang Haeng district, Chiang Mai province (about 19.559, 98.636), which has several ancient sites believed to be connected with the king; (3) Mueang Hang subdistrict, Mong Ton township, Shan State, across from Chiang Dao district, which a 2024 study based on Shan oral accounts supports.
- Date of death: present-day calculations give 25 April 1605; some older works gave June 1604.
- The illness: the chronicles call it hua ralok, usually explained as a boil on the face. Some sources suggest it may have been smallpox, but there is no clear evidence to support this.
- The royal remains: the Thai chronicles say the body was brought back to Ayutthaya for cremation, while Shan tradition holds that a stupa at Mong Ton contains the royal ashes.
Frequently asked questions
Where did King Naresuan die?
The chronicles say at the Thung Kaeo camp in the Mueang Hang area, during his march towards Ava, on 25 April 1605. But it is still debated whether Mueang Hang was at Fang, at Wiang Haeng or in Myanmar's Shan State.
Why did Naresuan march to Mueang Hang?
To block the King of Ava, who had marched into the Shan States as far as Hsenwi and was threatening Shan towns with close ties to Ayutthaya. Mueang Hang lay on the route the king took north.
Is Mueang Hang in Thailand?
There is no final answer. If you accept the Fang or Wiang Haeng theories, it is in Chiang Mai province; but if you follow the Shan oral accounts and the 2024 study, it is in Shan State, Myanmar, across from Chiang Dao district.
- Mueang Hang: The Place Where King Naresuan the Great Died, According to Shan Testimony – Journal of Humanities, Naresuan University (2024) (in Thai)
- Shan State and Chiang Mai: Tai–Thai Ties Without Borders – Thai Publica (in Thai)
- Biography of King Naresuan the Great – TruePlookpanya (in Thai)
- Naresuan - Wikipedia
- Wiang Haeng district - Wikipedia
- Mong Ton - Wikipedia
Last updated 10 November 2026