The Gun Show: How a Few Thai Cannons Helped Shape History [S8.E6] (Classic ReCast)

We return to our Thai history series with a fascinating look at
the role that several Thai cannons played in some important
historical events. 


First, with the help of a cool blog on Thai history from our
friend Ken Lohatepanont, Greg tells the story of some silver
cannons gifted by King Narai of Siam to Louis XIV of France. It
turns out that during the world-changing storming of the Bastille
in 1789, those very same cannons were used by the revolutionaries
to bring down the notorious prison. Who would have thought that
Thai military equipment would play such a key role in world
history?


Next, Greg tells the story of two large cannons, known as Seri
Negara and Seri Pattani, used by the southern Sultanate of
Pattani. When Pattani eventually challenged Siam and lost, the
Thai King seized the cannons as spoils of war. Alas, one ended up
at the bottom of the sea, but the other is on display in front of
the Thai Ministry of Defense to this day.


Last, Greg relates the use of cannons by the famous Thai
developer Nai Lert to mark the boundaries of his property that
borders Sukhumvit and Wireless Road. The concrete remains can
still be seen today outside of Central Embassy shopping
mall. 


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