������������Major General Maha-ammatho Chao Chakkhamkhachonsak, Special Royal Guard was a special army officer of the Royal Army. His former name was Chao Noi Chakkham. Born on Wednesday, the 15th waxing moon of the 6th month, the Year of the Pig, or May 19, 1875 at the royal residence in Lamphun he was the third son of Chao Inthayongyotchot who was the ruler of Lamphun and Maechao Rotkaeo, having brothers and sisters (siblings) as follows:
������������1.Prince Mukda.
������������2.Prince Tui (passed away).
������������3.Prince Chakkham (who became Chao Chakkhamkhachonsak a ruler of Lamphun).
������������4.Princess Kaeomueangma (died prematurely).
������������5.Princess La.
������������He also had a brother and a sister by another mother:
������������1.Prince Saikhio Na Lamphun born to Mom Buachin
������������2.Princess Thipnuan Na Lamphun born to Mom Khamthiang
������������When he reached school age, he studied Northern Thai characters at Wat Phra That Haripunchai (Khanaluang) of Lamphun town and the Central Thai language at Luang Sithiphaban school. When he was 11 years old (1886), he was ordained as a Buddhist novice for 6 years. At the age of 21 he married Princess Kankaeo, the oldest daughter of Chao Burirat of Lamphun (Chao Noi Phromthep) and Chao Suna and had four children:
������������1.Princess Lamliak Na Lamphun
������������2.Princess Wannara Na Lamphun
������������3.Prince Phongthada Na Lamphun
������������4.Prince Ratthathon Na Lamphun
������������After Princess Khankaeo passed away, Chao Chakkhamkhachonsak married again to Princess Khaekkaeo, the youngest daughter of Chao Burirat and Chao Suna and had one son who is Chao Worathat Na Lamphun (former MP of Lamphun and former Minister of the Interior during Prime Minister M. R. Seni Pramoj).
������������Chao Chakkhamkhachonsak had 3 more children with other royal consorts:
������������1.Prince Phatthana Na Lamphun (born to Chao Suanbun)
������������2.Prince Suriya Na Lamphun (born to Mom Waenkaeo)
������������3.Princess Prakiakham Thongyai Na Ayutthaya (born to Mom Khamyaeng)
������������At 26 years of age, Chao Chakkham went to study Public Administration at Wanglang School in Bangkok for two years before returning to help his father.
������������He was a good ruler full of patience, kindness compassion, sympathy and calmness toward his subjects. He was like a father to them. The people of Lamphun referred to him as phaochao (meaning prince father). He brought joy to all of them.
������������He was also a good government official who was loyal to the king, the Royal Household of Chakri, as well as the government. He served the king with gratitude to the best of his capacity which made the king admire him greatly. He was reputed for making the government progress.
������������As a Buddhist he was one of the devotees who was ordained as a novice. When he became a city ruler, he continued observing the precepts and listening to the sermons during the Buddhist Rainy Season Retreat period every Sabbath from 1925 1942 until his health became poor and it made him unable to keep the Sabbath regularly. However, he still made an effort to observe the precepts when the opportunity allowed him to. This was evidence of his strong faith in the religion. Chao Chakkham made a great contribution to Buddhism donating money to provide food for monks in many temples, including those at Wat Phra That Haripunchai. He also built a temple that was named after him, Chakkham Phimuk, at Santonthong Sub-district, Mueang District, Lamphun. He granted support for many young people to be ordained as Buddhist novices and renovated old chedis that enshrined the Buddhas relic fragments at Haripunchai Temple. He agreed to take care of a Buddhist monk, Phra Siwichai, from Bangkok to stay at Chamthewi Temple during the Buddhist Rainy Season Retreat. The deserted temple was then restored and became another beautiful temple in Lamphun. After that, he continued to support Phra Siwichai until he passed away. Any monk who came to him for whatever kind of problems, including budget for building a temple, always received assistance from the prince accordingly. His donations were over 200,000 Baht according to some documents found as follows:
������������1.Construction of Chakkham Phimuk Temple including the wihan, the monks cell, cloister, wall, water well and school, 15,000 Baht.
������������2.Building monks cells for Wat Phra That Haripunchai, 3,000 Baht.
������������3.Renovating the Chedi Haripunchai and gilding it with gold, 4,000 Baht.
������������4.Making as many as 20 krathins (gifts of robes presented to monks within a month after the end of the Buddhist Lent), 4,000 Baht.
������������5.Co-sponsoring some sacrifice offerings taken to various ceremonies at different temples, 2,579 Baht.
������������6.Making the Sangha dedication offerings of 1,000 sets, 5,000 Baht.
������������7.Providing sets of food and other requirements distributed to monks via a lottery process for the annual Salakphat Festival at Wat Phra That Haripunchai (the number of the sets corresponding to his age), 2,500 Baht.
������������The amount of donation was estimated to be 38,579 Baht.
������������In addition, he provided support to 40 novices and 18 monks to be ordained, according to the records available. There must have been a lot more that went unrecorded. All in all, Chao Khachonsak was a prominent Buddhist supporter.
������������As a good house leader, he was a perfect one, full of the four qualities of sublime mind: loving kindness, compassion, sympathy and equanimity toward his wife and his children. He supported his sons education as much as he could so some of them graduated from a university and became successful in their careers and government service as well as administrative duties to maintain a good reputation for the Na Lamphun family.
Illness
Chao Chakkhamkhachonsak became ill with cancer of the bladder in July 1943, for which his doctor tried his best to provide treatment. He was advised to go to Sirirat Hospital in Bangkok, under the patronage of the Prime Minister, on October 1 of the same year. Several distinguished people constantly went to visit and inquire about his health. His doctor gave a daily report about his progress.
������������However, feeling that his symptoms were getting worse, he asked the Prime Ministers permission to return to his residence in Lamphun. On November 1, 1943, a special train compartment was arranged with the Railway Department by the Prime Ministers command to take him to Lamphun.
His Passing Away
������������On November 5, 1943, at 11.00 p.m. at the age of 69, Chao Chakkhamkhachonsak passed away quietly and peacefully at his Lamphun residence among the relatives together with a monk and his doctor. As the 32nd ruler of Lamphun, Major General, Maha Ammat Tho Chao Chakkhamkhachonsak had been in the position from 1911 to 1943.
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