THAILAND: Ayutthaya, the Former Capitol of the Kingdom of Siam

Ayutthaya, founded in 1350, is about 89 km (55 miles) north of Bangkok.

It was the capital of the Kingdom of Siam until the late 18th century. 

The location was strategically chosen on an island surrounded by three rivers at the head of the Gulf of Siam. It was equidistant between India and China, making it ideal for trade.  

Ayutthaya flourished for more than 400 years and at its height may have supported hundreds of thousands of residents. 

Once an important center of global diplomacy and commerce, Ayutthaya is now an archaeological ruin.

Ayutthaya was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1991.

Back in 1350 Ayutthaya began as a well-planned urban city.

The city was laid out according to a systematic grid, with roads, canals, and moats around all the principal structures. 

The entire island was divided into strictly controlled zones where each had its own characteristic use and its own architecture.  

The scheme took maximum advantage of the city’s position amid three rivers and had a hydraulic system for water management. At the time the technology was extremely advanced and unique in the world. 

The city flourished from the 14th to the 18th centuries, during which time it grew to be one of the world’s largest and most cosmopolitan urban areas and a center of global diplomacy and commerce. 

European travellers in the early 16th century called Ayutthaya one of the three great powers of Asia. 

As a result, Ayutthaya became a center of economics and trade and an important connecting point between the East and the West.   

The Royal Court of Ayutthaya exchanged ambassadors far and wide, including with the French Court at Versailles and the Mughal Court in Delhi, as well as with the imperial courts of Japan and China.  

Downstream from the Ayutthaya Royal Palace, there were enclaves of foreign traders and missionaries, each building in their own architectural style.  Foreign influences can still be seen in the surviving art and in the architectural ruins.

And then....... 

In April 1767, after a 14-month siege, the city of Ayutthaya fell to the Burmese. 

The Burmese completely destroyed the city, burning it to the ground and forcing the inhabitants to abandon it. 

To demoralize, they decapitated the Buddha heads of statues. 

This decapitated head has famously had vines grow around it. 

This marked the end of the 417-year-old Ayutthaya Kingdom.

The city was never rebuilt and the capital of the restored kingdom was moved downstream to the current site of the city of Bangkok.

People still come to pray and make offerings. 

The day we went it was HOT and HUMID and we sweltered in the heat. We came back exhausted.

We did manage to get some Instagram-worthy photos. 

And a few selfies.

John and I still need to work on our selfie skills.