Chapter 8: The 1928 Northern Express Chronicle: Phra Maha Thong's Eyewitness Diary and Chao Khun Upali's Installation at Wat Chedi Luang
Chapter 8: The 1928 Northern Express Chronicle: Eyewitness diary of Phra Maha Thong, the 28-hour railway mission, and opening the Pali school at Wat Chedi Luang.
Preamble: A Sacred Mission of Public Enlightenment
The Chiang Mai Mission Chronicle (Chotmaihet Rueang Pai Chiang Mai) was penned by Phra Maha Thong (Mosito), an elite Pali scholar who served as personal secretary to Phra Upali Gunupamacariya (Jan Siricando). Written as an eyewitness testimony and an act of "pure spiritual propagation" (Pro-pa-kan-da), it chronicles the introduction of the Dhammayut monastic fraternity into the northern valleys under the royal sanction of King Prajadhipok (Rama VII), following formal petitions from Major-General Chao Kaew Nawarat (Ruler of Chiang Mai) and Royal Commissioner Chao Phraya Mukhamontri.
Supported by a transit grant of 900 Baht and a monthly teaching stipend of 40 Baht from Mahamakut Buddhist University, the mission comprised 35 monks and novices (anchored by three distinguished Parian scholars: Phra Maha Thong, Phra Maha Phiw, and Phra Maha Phon) alongside 50 lay followers. Chartering an entire wooden passenger carriage for 950 Baht, with freight charges of 78 Baht (totaling 1,062 Baht), the delegation carried hundreds of copies of Upali’s newly authored treatise, "Reminding Our Neighbors" (Tuean Jai Phuean Ban), designed to stem the tide of northern conversions to foreign creeds by reaffirming the pristine ancestral heritage of Buddhist truth.
The 28-Hour Railway Odyssey: Bangkok to Chiang Mai (27–28 May 1928 CE)
- Sunday, 27 May 1928: At 15:00, the delegation paid final homage to the presiding Buddha of Wat Boromniwas, boarding motorcars to Bangkok Terminus (Hua Lamphong). Amidst thousands of weeping well-wishers—including Chao Khun Phra Sasana Sobhon of Wat Thepsirin and Lord Mayor Phraya Rachanakun—the express steam locomotive pulled out of the capital at 16:00 sharp.
- Night Transit Across the Central Plains: The train chugged past Bang Pa-in (where Phra Ratchamuni of Wat Niwet offered greetings) and Ayutthaya, reaching Lopburi past 19:00, where Upali held court on the platform and distributed copies of Tuean Jai Phuean Ban. Pushing through the pitch-black darkness of Khok Kathiam, Ban Mi (20:00), Pak Nam Pho (midnight), and Phitsanulok (04:00), the monastics rested upright in cramped wooden berths.
- Monday, 28 May 1928: At daybreak in Uttaradit (07:00), the monks partook of bread, milk, and Vietnamese rice porridge (Ka-jang), receiving alms from clergy of Wat Phra Thaen Sila At. Ascending into rugged mountain territory, the locomotive traversed the Khao Phloeng pass, paused at Den Chai, served lunch on board, and reached Lampang at 14:00. Navigating steep grades and plunging into the blackness of Khun Tan Tunnel, the train crossed into Lamphun, rolling into Chiang Mai Railway Station at precisely 18:00—concluding an epic 28-hour transit.
The platform was packed with citizens. Prince Chao Kaew Nawarat, accompanied by civil officials and senior clergy, deployed a royal motorcade to convey the delegation and their cargo directly to Wat Chedi Luang.
First Days at Wat Chedi Luang and Audience at the Royal Palace (29 May 1928 CE)
The delegation was installed at the Ho Tham compound, though existing wooden huts were inadequate for 85 people. Prince Kaew Nawarat immediately ordered emergency construction of new dwellings and established a permanent royal kitchen on site, ensuring daily hot meals for the entire assembly.
On the morning of Tuesday, 29 May 1928, Prince Kaew Nawarat paid a formal state visit to Chao Khun Upali. That afternoon at 17:00, Chao Khun Upali and Phra Maha Thong reciprocated, proceeding to the Khum Luang (Royal Palace of Chiang Mai) for an extended audience with Prince Kaew Nawarat, Princess Dara Rasmi (royal consort of the late King Chulalongkorn, Rama V), and the northern royal court, forging a profound theological alliance between Bangkok’s monastic reformers and the ruling house of Lanna.
Dedication of the Scriptural College (31 May – 1 June 1928 CE)
The foundational objective of the mission materialized on Thursday, 31 May 1928 at 17:00, when a solemn consecration of the new Pariyattitham School was convened inside the Great Vihara of Wat Chedi Luang. Ten senior abbots from across Chiang Mai—presided over by Phra Aphaisaratha of Wat Chetawan—chanted protective parittas before Prince Kaew Nawarat, Phraya Phetphisai, and hundreds of citizens.
At daybreak on Friday, 1 June 1928 (07:00), following a grand almsgiving feast, Chao Khun Upali delivered an inaugural dedication sermon, immediately opening the school’s academic sessions:
- Phra Maha Phiw: Commenced translation lectures on the Pali Dhammapada Commentary.
- Phra Maha Phon: Initiated classes on Buddhist doctrine (Nak Tham) and ethical categorization.
This momentous day marked the irreversible establishment of classical Pali scholarship and Dhammayut monastic discipline in the historic capital of Northern Thailand.