"Ayuthaya - The Old Capital ..." a Ayuthaya Travel Page by thedouglas

Ayuthaya was the capial city of the Siamese Kingdom from 1350 to 1767 - and there is not much left of this once grand centre of Thai culture and international commerce. By the end of the 17th Century, there were 1,000,000 residents - and many foreign traders and visitors - from Asia and Europe.

The Siamese sovereignty reached into Burma, Laos and Cambodia. There were many tussles with the Burmese, who eventually invaded and overcame the Thais of Ayuthaya in 1765. They destroyed everything, and were ousted by self-made Chinese-Thai general, who had established a new base of power from Thonburi, on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok. His demise is another story............

The Ayuthaya Historical Park is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temples and remaining Buddha images are scattered over a relatively large site - and you can walk or cycle your way around.

Ayuthaya is just under 90kms from Bangkok - and popular tours to the city are by bus or boat, usually inclusive of lunch and sometimes, other visits.

The remaining Buddha images at the Historical Park have been plundered quite badly, by war and simple theft - and there are only sad headless remains to be seen.