Phrom
Phrom is a semi-legendary ruler associated with the Yonok Kingdom in the Lan Na region of present-day northern Thailand, traditionally regarded as the first Thai monarch to bear the title Maharaja. According to tradition, he rose to prominence through military campaigns, established his rule at Wiang Chai Prakan, and is credited with founding settlements and religious monuments in the Kok River basin. While many modern historians regard his story as later mythmaking, Phrom has continued to hold cultural significance, being remembered both as a primordial ancestor in later Thai tradition and as a tutelary figure in northern Thailand, particularly in the Mae Sai area.
When
- First attested
- 300 CE
- Attested period
- 300 – 2020
- Historical notes
- More recent studies suggest Phrom should be dated to the 4th–5th centuries CE, though chronological inconsistencies remain within the legendary sources.
Sources
Source passages
“Among local communities, he is venerated as a pioneering figure and tutelary deity of Mae Sai, with annual rituals and commemorative ceremonies held in his honor.”
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