About Maha Sakdi Balaseb
Lived 1785 – 1832 (aged 46). Maha Sakdi Balaseb was a Thai politician.
Somdet Phra Bawonratchao Maha Sakdiphonlasep (; 21 October 1785 – 1 May 1832) was the viceroy appointed by Nangklao as the titular heir to the throne as he was the uncle to the king.
Prince Arunotai was the son of King Phutthayotfa Chulalok (Rama I) and his concubine Princess Nuiyai of Nakhon Si Thammarat. He was later appointed the Kromma Muen Sakdiphonlasep and became acquitted with his half-nephew Kromma Muen Chetsadabodin during the wars with Burma. Kromma Muen Chetsadabodin was crowned as King Nangklao (Rama III) in 1824 and, consequently, Sakdiphonlasep was made the "Second King". He led the Siamese armies into Isan to fight with King Anouvong of Vientiane in 1826.
Sakdiphonlasep ordered the construction of the Bowonniwet Temple (lit. temple where the Front Palace lived) where Prince Mongkut (future Rama IV) became an abbot. In 1829, he ordered the Buddha Chinnasri – a 900-year-old Sukhothai Buddha statue from Pitsanulok – to be floated along the river and placed at the Bowonniwet Temple.
His funeral procession was held 2 April 1833, with cremation set for seven days later. The king, through the Phraklang, invited US diplomat Edmund Roberts and party to witness the procession, which Roberts describes in journal. Roberts notes that one of the sons of the wang-na watches at the temple, near the funeral pile, night and day, till the body is consumed; the ashes of the consumed body are then thrown into the river with many ceremonies; and the unconsumed bones are then delivered to the priests, and made into household gods. (Roberts refers to Buddhist monks as "Talapoy," from Portuguese talapão from Burmese tala poi our lord.)
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Important facts
Family & relationships
People in Maha Sakdi Balaseb's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Maha Sakdi Balaseb's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Maha Sakdi Balaseb?
Thai politician (1785-1832)
When was Maha Sakdi Balaseb born?
Maha Sakdi Balaseb was born on 21 October 1785 in Bangkok.
When did Maha Sakdi Balaseb die?
Maha Sakdi Balaseb died on 1 May 1832 in Bangkok.
What was Maha Sakdi Balaseb's occupation?
Maha Sakdi Balaseb was a politician.
What nationality was Maha Sakdi Balaseb?
Maha Sakdi Balaseb was Thai.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Maha Sakdi Balaseb
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Maha Sakdi Balaseb. https://biography.guide/maha-sakdi-balaseb/
MLA: "Maha Sakdi Balaseb." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/maha-sakdi-balaseb/.
Chicago: "Maha Sakdi Balaseb." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/maha-sakdi-balaseb/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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