Who they were
Sunthorn Phu (1786–1855) is Thailand’s most beloved classical poet, often called the bard of Rattanakosin. Of common birth, he rose as a court poet under Rama II.
What they did
Sunthorn Phu co-composed with the royal literary circle of Rama II. He fell from favor under Rama III and spent years in the monkhood and wandering — journeys that produced his famous nirat travel poems. His masterpiece, Phra Aphai Mani, is a vast romantic-adventure epic in verse composed over about two decades, peopled with mermaids, sea ogres, and a flute-playing prince — a story, it is commonly said, that every Thai schoolchild knows. He wrote in accessible Thai with popular idiom rather than courtly diction, which is widely seen as central to his enduring popularity. Late in life he returned to favor and royal patronage.
Legacy
UNESCO’s commemoration program honored Sunthorn Phu at his bicentennial in 1986, and June 26 is Sunthorn Phu Day in Thailand. Statues and a museum stand at Rayong, the setting of a famous nirat, and the characters of Phra Aphai Mani are cultural icons — among them the mermaid statue on Ko Samet.