Ayutthaya … Ancient Capital of Siam

Hello Steemit friends,

.............. as we renovate our apartment here in Northern Bangkok, after a week without electricity and internet when Mrs. PoorCirculation had suggested we escape the cement dust and paint fumes and take a weekend trip to Ayutthaya, my answer had been an enthusiastic YES.

...... the giant 37 meter long reclining Buddha at Wat Lokayasutharam

Founded in the mid-fourteenth century, Ayutthaya is proudly known as the Ancient Capital of Siam and is definitely one of my favorite cities in Thailand. Today Ayutthaya has the appealing feel of a bustling village, yet at its peak in the early 18th Century when it had a population of almost one million people, Ayutthaya had been one of the largest cities in the world. Today, it’s difficult to think of Ayutthaya in those terms, but only one hour from Bangkok and having so much to offer, it’s surprising that more visitors to Thailand don’t make the effort to come here.

...... a line of restored Buddha statues draped in saffron robes at Wat Yai Chaya Mongkol

From Bangkok, the most interesting way to reach Ayutthaya is by train. From Bangkok’s central Hua Lamphong Railway Station, the ninety minute journey to Ayutthaya will cost around $1 for a third-class ticket, and despite air-conditioned first-class seats being available on some scheduled trains, you’ll always meet the most interesting people in third-class.

...... Ayutthaya's picture-perfect Railway Station

From Ayutthaya’s adorably cute Railway Station, local tuk-tuks; colorful long-beaked three-wheelers that wouldn’t look out of place in Enid Blyton’s ’Noddy Goes to Toyland’, will be happy to take you anywhere in Ayutthaya for a just a couple of dollars. As a group, you could probably hire your own tuk-tuk and driver for a full day, but as the only hills in Ayutthaya have been made by man, it’s probably best explored on the bicycles that can be rented from multiple outlets in the heart of the old city.

...... lines of tuk-tuks waiting to take visitors into the heart of Ayutthaya

The old city of Ayutthaya - which is a flat 2km x 1km island surrounded by two rivers and a manmade canal – is strewn with the ruins of ancient temples. Everywhere you go there’ll be ruined temples and images of Buddha to see and explore, and as a UNSECO World Heritage Site, you can be guaranteed that none of them will disappoint the visitor.

...... giant reclining Buddha draped in saffron silk at Wat Yai Chaya Mongkol

Back in the 1980’s when I’d first visited Thailand I’d been struck by the gentleness of the people, a trait I’d suspected had owed much to their devotion to Buddhism. However, without lingering on what may or may not be hidden behind the famously disarming Thai Smile of today, back in the days of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, gentleness appears to have been in remarkably short supply.

....... the three giant chedi of Wat Phra Si Sanphet

Long before Thailand became the nation we know today, Siam had been a loose conglomerate of disparate Kingdoms, the wealthiest and strongest of which was the Kingdom of Ayutthaya. These Kingdoms clearly hadn’t always lived in harmony, and despite strategic alliances and marriages of political convenience between Kingdoms, just like the Emperors of Rome, each King had clearly felt the need to prove his worth in battle.

...... the severed head of a Buddha image being devoured over time by the roots of a Bodi Tree at Wat Maha That

As you visit the myriad of monastic ruins dotted around Ayutthaya, each site will have a different story to tell. Built in a 400 year period between 1351 and 1767 and in the reign of different kings, in different styles, and with different purposes in mind, the ancient ruins together form an eclectic tapestry of Ayutthaya’s colorful history. However, no matter how different the stories behind each of those sites might be, they all end with the same destructive climax.

..... a solitary image of Buddha at one of Ayutthaya's least visited sites, Wat Wora Chet Tha Ram

As the most powerful Kingdom in the region, when Ayutthaya wasn’t waging war with its immediate neighbors, it was projecting its power outwards into Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Burma. These military campaigns of Ayutthaya’s kings certainly brought great riches to the Kingdom, both culturally and economically, but that expansionist ambition and the growing number of enemies that it created, would also lead to its violent downfall.

..... a lone monk sits high on a chedi offering blessings to those who venture up to meet him

Following a military siege, in April of 1767 Burmese forces had crossed the river and sacked the city of Ayutthaya. The Royal Palace and the temples had all been raised to the ground, the heads of every Buddha image violently removed and when the killing and carnage had ceased, all that remained of the city had been burned.

...... the chedi and stupa of Wat Yai Chaya Mongkol, one of Ayutthaya's largest and least damaged sites

When the smoke had settled, nothing but the foundations of once majestic buildings had remained, and within a matter of days, the once mighty Kingdom of Ayutthaya had been completely erased from the map. Today, what you will see in Ayutthaya are the results of that 1767 assault on the city, but your imagination will show you what once had been.

..... an image of Buddha with various offerings at Wat Wora Chet Tha Ram

At each temple ruin, as Thais burn incense sticks, place offerings and kneel in prayer before the silk draped images of Buddha, it’s easy to ignore the violence that brought down the mighty walls that would’ve once surrounded you. The solemn act of prayer juxtaposed to the ravages of war and destruction are difficult to comprehend, but thankfully, the atmosphere today certainly favors the peaceful.

........ the scarred chedi and stupa of Wat Maha That

Following the sacking of Ayutthaya, a new capital city would rise fifty miles to the south on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, a city that would become known to the world as Bangkok. However, Thais don’t call their capital Bangkok, they call it instead Krung Thep, which is a useful abbreviation for the full official name of Thailand’s capital city.

....... sunset at one of Ayutthaya's largest complexes Wat Chaiwatthanaram

In tribute to the once mighty Kingdom of Ayutthaya, Bangkok’s official name includes reference to it. The full official name for Bangkok is the longest name for any city in the world:

Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit

If the opportunity to visit Ayutthaya ever arises, then take it, because you certainly won't be disappointed by the Ancient Capital of Siam.

Thanks for reading along.

Riding and smiling as always …... Geoff