Phraya Phichai
จ้อย
Phraya Phichai (1741–1782) was a Siamese military commander and personal bodyguard of King Taksin, trained in Thai boxing from youth and known as Dab Hak, the man with the broken sword.
Quick Facts
ThailandBiography
Phraya Phichai was born in 1741 in Ban Huai Kha in Phichai district, Uttaradit province. He later changed his birth name Choi (จ้อย) to Thong Di. He is known as a military commander and personal bodyguard of Phraya Tak, the future King Taksin.
From his youth he trained in Thai boxing under the instructor Thiang at Wat Ban Kaeng temple.
Alongside Phraya Tak he fought in the Burmese–Siamese wars of 1765–1767 and 1775–1776. In 1773, at the Battle of Wat Aka, he fought with two swords (daab song mue); one broke against the ground, yet he continued fighting with one intact sword and one broken sword. This earned him the epithet Dab Hak (broken sword).
After the 1782 coup he remained loyal to King Taksin and refused an offer of pardon from King Rama I, citing the principle of not serving two masters (Kha Kao Chao Liang). He himself requested execution in order to follow his king, and was executed on 7 April 1782 in Thonburi at the age of 41. His son Nai Ket also became Phraya Phichai under the reign of Rama I. On 20 February 1969 King Bhumibol Adulyadej unveiled his bronze statue at the seat of Uttaradit province.