Let’s Go to Ayutthaya

My journey to the temples and ruins of North Thailand and Sukhothai didn’t satiate my hunger for more adventure. In fact, that journey made me want to explore Thailand more. So, in the last month of my 6-month stay in Thailand, I visited another former capital of Thailand. This is no other than the ancient city of Ayutthaya.

Ayutthaya was established in 1350 by King Uthong. It grew in prominence and invaded some kingdoms in the Malay Peninsula, Thai kingdoms in the north like Sukhothai, and parts of Cambodia which was then under the Khmer Empire.

Unfortunately, Ayutthaya weakened due to wars between throne claimants. After being the Thai capital for 417 years2, Ayutthaya was utterly destroyed by the invading Burmese Army. 

Ayutthaya is not only a city of ruins but also has plenty of interesting places. Here are some of the places which I will post about in coming blog posts:

1. The Ruins of Ayutthaya Kingdom

I felt like Indiana Jones when I explored the ruins of Ayutthaya. The ruins are so plenty that I stopped entering any ruin of a wat after visiting three major wats. The highlight of my ruins expedition is my descent to the crypt of Wat Ratchaburana.

2. Greet and Meet the Elephants

My Ayutthaya adventure is memorable because this is the only time when I came very close to a living Thai elephant.

3. Another Church Visit

I was glad when I discovered that there is Catholic church just outside the old city of Ayutthaya. It is one of a kind chance so I visited it. My effort was not in vain because I saw a beautiful church.

4. The Remains of the Portuguese Village

Ayutthaya’s economic importance was noticed by Europeans. The Portuguese built not only diplomatic and trade relations with Ayutthaya but also sent soldiers as mercenaries for the Thai king. So when Ayutthaya fell to Burma the small Portuguese population perished. The settlement remained to tell their story. This is another unique spot beyond the normal ruins of Thai temples and palaces so I made sure to visit it.

Isn’t Ayutthaya interesting? I do hope that I was able to get you interested to read my future travel posts about ruins of Ayutthaya.

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