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The Capture of Tavoy and Tenasserim, 1593
After the victory at Nong Sarai, Ayutthaya switched from defence to attack. Its first targets were Tavoy and Tenasserim on the Andaman coast, towns that had once been subject to Ayutthaya and that served as a trading gateway to the Indian Ocean.
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.
Commanders with something to prove
According to the royal chronicles, the commanders who had failed to keep up with the king in the elephant-duel battle faced severe punishment. Somdet Phra Phonnarat asked for them to be pardoned, so Naresuan sent them to attack Tavoy and Tenasserim in place of their punishment.
Chao Phraya Chakri led about 50,000 men against Tenasserim, and Phraya Phra Khlang led about 10,000 against Tavoy.
An earlier attempt
Accounts based on the Burmese chronicles say that in the dry season of 1591–1592 Naresuan had already sent about 5,000 men to attack the upper Tenasserim coast, but they were driven back by an army from Martaban. The new expedition after Nong Sarai was therefore larger, and was prepared both by land and by sea.
Two towns under siege
In early 1593 Tenasserim held out for about 15 days before it fell, while Tavoy was besieged for about 20 days before it surrendered. Both towns agreed to come back under Ayutthaya's rule, as in the past.
Chao Phraya Chakri also took Mergui, the port at the mouth of the Tenasserim River, together with a large number of boats. He left a garrison to hold Tenasserim and then marched north overland to join the forces at Tavoy, while Phraya Thep Orachun led a fleet to help by sea.
The naval battle
Hanthawaddy sent a fleet of about 200 boats carrying about 10,000 men to help, but it arrived too late. Siamese fleets closing in from both north and south trapped it; many Burmese boats were sunk or ran aground, one naval commander was killed and about 500 men were captured.
Meanwhile the land army marching from Martaban was ambushed, and as many as 11 Burmese commanders were taken prisoner.
Why it mattered
Winning Tavoy, Tenasserim and Mergui reopened Ayutthaya's outlet to the western sea. Foreign merchants often sailed up the Tenasserim River and then crossed the mountains to Ayutthaya. Not long afterwards, Mon towns such as Moulmein came over to Ayutthaya's side, a stepping stone towards the invasion of Hanthawaddy.
Reading the route on the map
The line on the map shows Chao Phraya Chakri's route from Ayutthaya to Tenasserim and Mergui, then north to Tavoy. The sources used do not say which pass the army took across the Tenasserim Hills, so the first stretch shows only the general direction, and the Tenasserim point is the approximate position of the present-day town.
Waypoints along the route
| Waypoint | Coordinates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ayutthaya | 14.348, 100.561 | |
| 2. Tenasserim | 12.080, 99.020 | Approximate location. Approximate coordinates of present-day Tenasserim (Tanintharyi) town on the Tenasserim River. |
| 3. Mergui | 12.433, 98.600 | |
| 4. Tavoy | 14.083, 98.200 |
Where historians still disagree
- Year of the campaign: most Thai textbooks give BE 2136, but some Thai sources place it in BE 2135 under the old way of counting years. English-language works say early 1593, while some sources date Siam's recovery of Tavoy to 1594.
- Troop numbers: the Thai chronicles say Chao Phraya Chakri's army numbered 50,000 and Phraya Phra Khlang's 10,000, but some encyclopedias put the total Siamese force at about 15,000 men and 250 boats.
Frequently asked questions
Who led the attacks on Tavoy and Tenasserim?
Chao Phraya Chakri attacked Tenasserim and Phraya Phra Khlang attacked Tavoy. According to the chronicles, both were commanders who had been pardoned after the elephant-duel battle.
Why were Tavoy and Tenasserim important to Ayutthaya?
They were towns on the Andaman coast that opened a trade route to the Indian Ocean, and they had been subject to Ayutthaya before the period of Burmese control.
Last updated 10 November 2026