"Sometimes what you believe is historical fact is something invented," historian Sunait Chutintaranond told a symposium on the heroic deeds of King Naresuan the Great organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Fine Arts Department.

Many believe Prince Naresuan was a royal captive at the Burmese court and some even believe the story that he and the Burmese crown prince held a cockfight is a fact.

"None of the Ayutthaya chronicles tell of Prince Naresaun being taken captive at Hanthawaddy and there is no mention of any cockfighting," said Sunait, who was a scriptwriter for the film.

Sunait teaches history at Chulalongkorn University and is a respected Thai-Burmese expert.

The stories about the king have been passed down over generations and it is difficult to determine what is fact and what is fiction, he said.

The stories had been passed down for 200 years before being written in chronicles.

Even then, Sunait said, royal chronicles were traditionally "rubber stamped" as history and may avoid stories that affect the dignity of the king.

"The story of the king has been constructed to suit the times as it has been in the past many times," he said.

During the early Bangkok period the king was promoted as the hero of the nation state. Sunait suggested that this representation of the monarch was being promoted again due to the rise of the military.

Viewers should not accept the new film as gospel, he said.

"But, [the film] will lead to questions and debate and will add to the knowledge of society," he said.

Sunait and fellow historians will debate the film and the history of Thailand and Burma on January 24 at 5.45pm at Siam Paragon Theatre 8. Panellists will include historians Charnvit Kasetsiri, Thamrongsak Petchlertanan, Thirabhap Lohitkul and Somrit Luechai.

Subhatra Bhumiprabhas

The Nation