Ayutthaya, the original capital

75 kms north of Bangkok is Ayutthaya, the first capital of Thailand. Ayutthaya was a major trading port in the area. With the arrival of the Dutch in the 17th century, trade was extended to China, Japan, Indonesia, Portugal, Holland and France. The city was conquered by Myanmar in 1769 and burnt to the ground, temples, palaces and all. Many Buddha’s were destroyed. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, some restorations have begun. The only structure that has been fully rebuilt is Wat Panan Cgeong which houses the largest sitting Buddha in Thailand. This defeat by Myramar also was the last time elephants were used in battle. Interested tourists can take an elephant ride (we didn’t) but we did visit the memorial to the elephant warriors. It is customary here to buy either a blanket for the Buddha, a gift of basic supplies or rice for the monks and a bit of gold leaf to stick on a Buddha of your choice. A bit like a popularity contest as some Buddha’s were covered and some had very few gold stickers.Read more