During his 15-year reign as King of Ayutthaya, from 1590 to 1605, Siam reached it apogee in terms of territory, occupying large swathes of what are now Myanmar and Cambodia.
Thais will also tell you that he was a great lover of cock-fighting.
At shrines to the great king around the country, people offering prayers and, if their wishes are granted, thank the King with a gift of a plaster rooster. Some are as much as two metres tall, inlaid with pieces of coloured mirror.
Others are small and more modestly decorated. But all carry fervent thanks.
This picture was taken at the Naresuan Shrine in Prachinburi, where the king camped the night on his way from Ayutthaya to Cambodia.
