Suriyenthrathibodi

King Suriyenthrathibodi (Thai: สมเด็จพระเจ้าสุริเยนทราธิบดี) or Luang Sorasak (Thai: หลวงสรศักดิ์)—was originally named Duea or Maduea (Thai: เดื่อ, มะเดื่อ), and King Chulalongkorn later issued a royal judgement identifying his regnal name as Sanphet VIII (Thai: สมเด็จพระสรรเพชญ์ที่ ๘). He was the 29th monarch of the Ayutthaya Kingdom and the second king of the Ban Phlu Luang dynasty, the last dynasty of Ayutthaya. People in his reign often referred to him as Phra Chao Suea (Thai: พระเจ้าเสือ "Tiger King"), likening him to a tiger for his fierce and cruel temperament. He was also renowned for his prowess in Muay Thai and is credited with devising mae mai muay thai (fundamental Muay Thai techniques), for which clear historical evidence exists; these were later transmitted in manuals so that later generations of Thais could learn and practise them down to the present. The Office of the National Culture Commission (ONCC) states in its book Silpa Muay Thai (The Art of Muay Thai) that the king once disguised himself as a commoner and fought skilled boxers from Wiset Chai Chan, defeating three leading fighters. Today, the Ministry of Culture designates 6 February—corresponding to the date of his accession attested in historical evidence—as National Muay Thai Day. In addition, he trained his royal sons—Thai Sa and Borommakot—to be skilled in Muay Thai, Krabi-Krabong, and wrestling.