Cornelius Specx

Who was Cornelius Specx?

Cornelis Specx is known as the first European to interact with the Thai court.

In 1601 he sailed under Joris van Spilbergen to Aceh. The journey was organised by Balthasar de Moucheron. Specx became a bookkeeper of the Dutch East India Company in 1603. In June 1604 he was sent by Admiral Wijbrandt van Waerwijck to Siam with presents for king Naresuan, hoping to get access to China with Siamese help. He established a trading post in Ayutthaya in 1604.

An embassy of five people from the Kingdom of Siam was sent by the following Siamese ruler, Ekathotsarot. and brought to Holland by Admiral Cornelis Matelieff de Jonge onboard Orange, who had left Bantam on January 28, 1608. A few precious stones, taken on board by Specx, disappeared. The embassy arrived in The Hague on September 10, 1608, and met with Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange.

Specx died during the journey. His goods were sold before the mast.