Ang Chan II was born in 1791; son of King Ang Eng (r. 1794 - 1796). He was the King of Cambodia who sought to balance Siam (Thailand) against Vietnam; both countries had traditionally contested for Cambodian territory that lay between their domains.
When Ang Chan's father died in 1796, Siam had suzerainty over Cambodia. Siamese king, Rama II, did not approve the elevation of another Cambodian prince until 1802 when he recognized Ang Chan as the king of Cambodia; Chan was crowned in the Siamese capital of Bangkok in 1806. On the throne, Ang Chan acknowledged his vassalage to Siam by an annual tribute.
Despite recognizing Siam's superiority and paying tribute annually to Bangkok, Ang Chan turned to Gia Long, the emperor of Vietnam, in 1811 for support when he was unable to overcome the opposition of one of his own brothers, Ang Snguon, who attempted to usurp the throne. The King's decision to seek Vietnamese aid let to conflict between Siam and Vietnam, in which many battles were fought in Cambodia. After a series of engagements, the Vietnamese withdrew their forces and took Ang Chan with them.
Backed by Emperor Gia Long army, Ang Chan regained his throne at Oudong. By then, Siam and Vietnam gained control of most of Cambodia, with Vietnam making major advances in the eastern and Siam the western part of the country. Ang Chan paid tribute to both courts.
King Ang Chan II died in 1835. The King's successor, the young princess Ang Mey, was defenseless against the political intrigues of the dominant powers. It was not until Ang Chan's younger brother, Ang Duong, was invested as king in 1848, with the agreement of Siam and Vietnam, did the Cambodian state have a chance to reassert itself.
Source:
The French Presence in Cochinchina and Cambodia by Milton E. Osborne.
