Ayutthaya (Ayuthaya)

Ayutthaya, or Ayuthaya boasts temple ruins from the 16th to 18th centuries, Thailand's most flourishing period. From 1350 'till 1767, Ayutthaya was the Thai capital and 33 successive king of several Siamese dynasties reigned the country from there. The old capital was a marvelous city that was frequently visited and adored by Dutch, Portuguese, French, English, Chinese and Japanese merchants. By the second half of the 17th century Ayutthaya's population had grown to 1 million and most foreign visitors claimed it to be the most illustrious city they had ever seen. The Burmese conquered it in 1767 and the city's importance started diminishing.

Nowadays all that is left are ruins, but they are nevertheless quite impressive. The temples and ruins are scattered over a wide area and the whole site is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The largest temple in Ayutthaya is the Wat Phra Si Sanphet. It was built in the 14th century and once contained a 16 m tall, standing Buddha that was covered in 250 kg of gold. The Burmese conquerors melted the gold and destroyed the Buddha. Also from the 14th century is the Wat Phra Chao Phanan Choeng. It might have been built by Khmers, before Ayutthaya became the Siamese capital and contains a 19 m high Buddha image.

The Wat Phra Meru looks a little bit like a fortress. It was built in the 16th century and the Burmese spared it during their conquest in 1767, possibly, because they wanted to use it as a fortress themselves. The wat boasts a beautiful carved wooden ceiling, as well as a 6 m high, crowned, sitting Buddha. There is also a green stone Buddha from Ceylon, which dates from the 7th century.

The Elephant Kraal has been restored and includes a wooden stockade, built from teak logs that were planted in the ground at angles of 45 degrees. This way wild elephants could easily be rounded up during an annual event. The king could watch the scene from an elevated pavilion.

There are two impressive museums in Ayutthaya, the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum and the Chan Kasem Palace. Ayutthaya is 75 km north of Bangkok the two places are connected by buses and trains. Ayutthaya can easily be visited on a day trip from the capital.