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away
A
yutthaya
was once
the Siamese capital in
the country nowknown
as Thailand, and the
trading capital of Asia
thanks to its strategic
pos i t i on be tween
China, India and the Malay Archipelago.
33 consecutive kings presided over the
grand and splendid city of gold-laden
palaces from 1350 for 417 years, a place
that grew to be the largest city in the world
by 1700.
The city is now a mere shadow of its
former self, glory stripped away by the
Burmese upon their invasion in 1767
when they burnt the majority of the city
to the ground, leaving just a clutch of
temples and buildings that stand tired and
crumbling, desperately trying to do justice
to the grandeur that once was.
THE MODERN CITY
Ayutthaya is an island sitting on the
confluence of three rivers and, thanks to
its proximity to Bangkok (85km, served
by regular trains), attracts the tourists it
deserves who come for the mixture of
humble modern city with spectacular
ruins and a legend of a city so splendid
that visitors from all nations claimed it
was the finest they had ever seen.
Without the contrast of the original
with what remains, modern Ayutthaya
is a remarkable sight for the tourist, the
collection of temples and palaces fantastic
enough to earn the city UNESCO World
Heritage Site status in 1991.
TheoldSiamese capital of Ayutthaya stands as amere shadowof its former glory, yet a
visitmakes for amemorableglimpseof agrandpast.
SarahRees
encouragesyou toadd
this sleepy yet extraordinary provincial capital to yourThai itinerary.
The Forgotten City
The remains are especially impressive
thanks to the contrast the more modern
parts of town present, from a dusty high
street and suitably sloppy wet market to
the narrowwooden boat needed to access
the town from the railway station.
THINGS TO DO
For the modern visitor, the archaeological
park is the place to dedicate most time
to. Visitors can travel around the site by
taxi, with an organised bus tour, bicycle
or by elephant to admire the Khmer-style
architecture that lends comparison to the
majesty of Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
While most of the valuable artefacts
were stolen from the city when the Bur-
mese invaded, what has remained and
stood the test of time can be seen at