 While traditional Thai historians hold that he was an illegitimate son of King Ekathotsarot, Jeremias van Vliet's account states that he was the maternal cousin of King Songtham – his father was "Okya" Sithammathirat (), elder brother of the mother of King Songtham.He was born during the reign of King Naresuan around 1600 and was known to have caused mischief in the royal court.He ruined the palace Agricultural Initiation Ceremony, royal ceremony of ploughing, and was threatened with imprisonment; only pleas from the queen of King Naresuan, Chao Khruamanichan, won a reduction of the punishment to five months imprisonment.