Thao Suranari

Who was Thao Suranari?

Thao Suranari is the royally bestowed title of Lady Mo, who was the wife of the deputy governor of Nakhon Ratchasima, the stronghold for Siamese control over its Laotian vassals. In 1826 Vientiane King Anouvong invaded Siam seeking complete independence. Anuvong's forces seized the city of Nakhorn Ratchasima by a ruse when the governor was away. They evacuated the inhabitants, intending to resettle them in Laos. Lady Mo is credited with saving her people by harassing the enemy. Varying stories describe her either getting the invading soldiers drunk, or leading a rebellion of the prisoners on the way back to Vientiane. The generally accepted version tells that when the Lao invaders ordered the women to cook for them, Lady Mo requested knives to do so. That night, when the invaders were asleep, she gave the knives to the men to attack them. The surprised Lao troops fled and the prisoners escaped. Thai King Rama III soon sent an army in pursuit, led by General Sing Singhaseni (สิงห์ สิงหเสนี). He defeated Anuvoung's forces in 3 days of fighting and followed his orders by completely destroying Anuvoung's capital city of Vientiane.