Aperçu
Ayutthaya stands on an island formed by the confluence of three rivers in the central plain of modern Thailand. Founded in 1350 by King Ramathibodi I, it became the capital of a powerful Thai kingdom that absorbed the legacy of the Khmer Empire and grew into one of the most prosperous and cosmopolitan cities in Asia. At its peak in the 17th century the city had a population estimated at one million — larger than Paris or London at the time — and hosted trading communities from China, Japan, India, Persia, Portugal, the Netherlands, France, and England.
The city was renowned for its elaborate ceremonial architecture. Hundreds of Buddhist temples (wats) adorned with gilded spires (prangs), white chedis, and vast Buddha images were built across the island. The royal palace at the centre was described by European visitors as a place of extraordinary splendour. Diplomatic missions from Louis XIV of France and other European monarchs were received here in the 17th century, and Ayutthaya's rulers collected Greek and Persian advisors alongside its Asian merchants.
In 1767 a Burmese army under King Hsinbyushin besieged and sacked Ayutthaya after a 14-month siege, looting its gold, melting its Buddha images, and systematically destroying the palace and temples. The capital never recovered and was permanently relocated to Bangkok. The ruins visible today — truncated prangs, decapitated Buddha statues, shattered walls rising from the rice paddies — are among the most evocative archaeological landscapes in Southeast Asia. UNESCO inscribed Ayutthaya Historical Park in 1991.