The Heroines – Live!
Let 'em have it! The Heroines fire a cannon at the dastardly Burmese.
Anyone who’s spent more than five minutes on Phuket will have seen the Heroines monument in the middle of the circle halfway between Phuket Town and Thalang. The statue of two women holding swords commemorates the defeat 224 years ago of a Burmese army by the people of Thalang (then the capital of the island).
Burma had a bit of a habit of sending armies to bash Siam, burning cities and carrying off thousands of slaves. In 1767 they took the Siamese capital, Ayudhya, and burned it to the ground.
In 1785, as part of a much larger invasion, Burma’s King Bodawhpaya sent troops in ships hopping down the Andaman coast, raiding towns with impunity – until they reached Phuket.
There they met stiff resistance organised by two sisters, Jan and Mook, who rallied townspeople and villagers to beat off the Burmese. It took five weeks, but they succeeded. The sisters were later honoured by King Rama I, who gave them the monikers Thao Thepkrasatri and Thai Srisoonthorn.
The victory is celebrated every year on Phuket with a week of activities, culminating in a free open-air theatrical performance on the supposed site of the final battle in the five-week defence of Phuket.
This year, the performance, featuring hundreds of people, takes place on the nights of March 13, 14 and 15, starting at around 7pm. The costumes are gorgeous, as are the backdrops, and the acting, if a little wooden, is definitely sincere. Lots of sword fighting, kick boxing and even a cannon or two. Note that on the first night there tend to be a lot of speeches before the performance begins. You like long speeches in Thai? Go that night.
Lots of stalls in the area sell snacks, beers and other drinks, and souvenirs, so it’s worth getting a crowd together to make a night of it.
To get there, go north from Phuket Town along the main road, past the Heroines monument to Thalang. At the lights, turn left, and then, on the first left-hand bend, turn right towards Baan Riang. Follow the signs.
Other activities during the week include tours of related historical sites, starting at 9am on March 7-10; a mountain bike race along “historical routes” on March 8; and, on the same day in the evening, local sports including Thai boxing at the Baan Riang victory site. Try the following numbers to join any of these: 08 6942 3234, 08 1838 4860 or 076 282 950.
