Ayutthaya, the plundered capital
Ayutthaya in fact means: 'unconquerable'. That was an excellent name for four centuries, until in 1765 the Burmese plundered the beautiful metropolis with more than 2000 temples and slaughtered the inhabitants or carried them away as slaves. That was the end of Southeast Asia's main superpower, which stretched from Singapore to southern China.
However, the ruins of Ayutthaya, 75 kilometers from the new capital Bangkok, are still worth a detour, whether by bus or river cruise. They are therefore rightly part of the world heritage, according to UNESCO. It is even better to find shelter in Ayutthaya and let the remains of temples have an effect on you. Then rent a bike. Then you really get an impression of what this old capital must have looked like in the past.
Important in this case is the Wat Phra Si Sanphet, in fact the court temple of the kings in earlier times. The 16 meter high Buddha was brought to Wat Pho in Bangkok after the reconquest from the Burmese. Wat Phra Ram is surrounded by a small lake and has a Khmer-influenced prang. And Buddha's head, enclosed by tree roots, is certainly impressive.
The many beautiful buildings in Ayutthaya, whether or not (partly) restored, are too many to mention. Nice to visit, especially with children, is the elephant corral four kilometers northwest of the city along Highway 309. After work is done, the mahouts wash the animals in the river in the evening.
I advise everyone to first visit the Ayutthaya Historical Study Center, located on the main entrance road (Rojana Road), a few hundred meters before the end = T-junction. In less than 1 hour you get an excellent picture of the history, with beautiful dioramas and other things. The VOC is also extensively discussed in this museum & study center donated by Japan. The museum is on the 1st floor. It is in close proximity to the much more extensive Chao Sam Phraya National Museum.
Open every day from 09.00:16.30 to 100:20. Entrance 035 Baht (Thai 245 Baht). Contact: Tel. (123) 4-XNUMX/XNUMX
A smooth and fun train connection from the main station in Bangkok. Or easier from Don Muang train station ( airport) . A dirt cheap third class ticket, and you're there in an hour. Then rent a bike and ride, quiet and flat, little traffic.
train times,
— Northernline…
—Northeastern line..
Come offer along Ayutthaya..
http://thairailways.com/time-table.intro.html
Or take a taxi (very affordable in Thailand) and let yourself be driven around (if that is still possible).
I was there almost 40 years ago, when nothing had been restored; I didn't like it at the time.
So it has now apparently been beautifully restored with the help of UNESCO; a good reason to go there again.
From Bangkok by boat across the river. The last part of the van. Nice trip. Baan lotus guesthouse for lovers of a peaceful environment.
City of Millions… kingdom stretching from Singapore to South China… I must have listened a little too much to the Thais. Don't let them hear it in Lanna, etc. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayutthaya_Kingdom
Hans and some elite Thais simply have a well-developed sense of humor. 😉 Of course the kingdom was not that big, it was only 'zones where people had influence', there was also overlap between them. Several city-states that included an area under their sphere of influence and took that treasure and especially people as loot/reward. Real direct power did not reach that far, because the authorities of the various city states did not travel that far outside their city on an elephant or by boat every day.
Tip for the people who have the delusion of a vast Siamese empire: read Siam Mapped by Thongchai Winichakul. Mandatory reading if you ask me and want to know something about the history.
Don't forget to visit the Baan Hollanda museum!
elsewhere on this site you will find information about this museum about the history of trade by the VOC between the Netherlands and Thailand in the past.
Very well worth a visit.
link to the article on this site is:
https://www.thailandblog.nl/bezienswaardigheden/nederlands-museum-baan-hollanda-ayutthaya/
Greetings
Bart Hoevenaars
I have the privilege of living in Ayutthaya and can only say that it is absolutely justified to go around there for a few days by bike or tuk-tuk.
The ruins are all in beautiful locations where you can feel the serenity through the wind.
Traffic is not a hindrance, the people are friendly….
If history had turned out a bit differently in 1765, Ayutthaya might still be the capital of Thailand (or Siam?) in 2022! Hard to imagine that we would board the plane to Ayutthaya at Schiphol. And what would the city have looked like then?!