The King seeing him persist in his refusal appointed in 1733 his second son to be his successor and died shortly afterwards of a cancer in the throat.
The brother of the dead King was known as the Crown Prince, and the Siamese were accustomed to look upon him as their future ruler. Five thousand soldiers whom he kept in his palace, were ready to devote their lives in support of his rights.
His nephew relying on his father's will, had collected a force of 40,000 men in the Royal palace so as to overawe his rival. He had been careful to win the four chief officials of the State over to his side and having charge of the Treasury, it was a simple matter to purchase adherents. All the common people were in the power of the officials who all hoped to extend their authority over a young and inexperienced ruler, who would be obliged to put the burden of state affairs on their shoulders.
The union of the nobility under the flag of the young Prince, seemed to indicate that his cause would be successful, but in reality it was the cause of his downfall, owing to internal jealousies as to who should be leader. The higher officials thought that the Barcalon, misusing his almost unlimited power, wished to use them as tools for his personal aggrandisement.
They appeared to fear that after having been sufficiently powerful to hold the Crown Prince in subjection, he would yield to the temptation of taking the crown for himself.
It seemed more fit that they should obey their old masters rather than to see themselves reduced to ask favours of an equal, and thus all plotted secretly to destroy their work.
War broke out between the two rival Princes. The disturbance was aggravated by the party feeling of the mob. Shots were exchanged between the two palaces. The frightened inhabitants awaited death in their houses and the whole town would have been reduced to a heap of ruins had the gunners been good marksmen.
The Barcalon, full of confidence, resolved to risk a decisive engagement, having the lesser palace as its objective.
A hand to hand conflict occurred, and the Crown Prince's forces were routed and pursued to his own palace wall. The conquerors took counsel as to practicability of carrying the palace by storm. The Barcalon and his friends voted for the proposition, but one of the chief leaders said that as it was nearly dark, it would be better to defer the attack till the next day alleging that by so doing fewer lives would be endangered than if a night attack were to be attempted.
His advice was taken and the assault was deferred. The Crown Prince, being informed by spies of all that passed in the camp of the enemy, took advantage of the sense of security inspired by an initial success and convinced that the advantage lies with the attacking force, made a sortie against the forces near the foot of the palace walls. The darkness increased the fear inspired by this attack.