Who they were
Suriyothai was a queen consort of King Maha Chakkraphat of Ayutthaya, remembered for her death in battle — widely dated February 1549, with the Thai traditional date (BE 2091) often rendered 1548. Her life is known almost entirely from chronicle tradition, and everything told of her should be read with that in mind.
What they did
According to the Thai chronicles, when Tabinshwehti’s Burmese forces invaded in the war of 1547–49, Suriyothai rode a war elephant into battle beside her husband, dressed as a warrior. When the king’s elephant was pressed in single combat, she is said to have driven her own elephant between him and the Burmese commander and was cut down, saving the king’s life. Her remains are said to be enshrined at the Chedi Si Suriyothai in Ayutthaya. Burmese sources, it should be noted, do not record the episode.
Legacy
Suriyothai stands as the model of self-sacrificing heroism and is among the most honored women in Thai history. She is memorialized by the chedi and a royal-sponsored memorial park, and a major Thai historical film released in 2001 renewed her fame.