Ayutthaya

A BRIEF HISTORY OF AYUTTHAYA:

This city was founded around 1350. Ayutthaya has become the second capital of Siam after Sukhothai. It became named after the town of Ayodhya in India, in which legend has it Rama, one of the avatars of the Hindu god Vishnu, had his capital town, whose rule is taken into consideration by Hindus to be the epitome of proper governance and ethical society. Throughout the centuries, an excellent place among China, India, and the Malay Archipelago made Ayutthaya the buying and selling capital of Asia and even the global. By 1700 Ayutthaya had become an important town within the international with a complete one million inhabitants.

BEST SELLING POINT:

Many global traders set sail for Ayutthaya from various areas because of the Arab international, China, India, Japan, Portugal, the Netherlands, and France. Merchants from Europe proclaimed Ayutthaya the best town they’d ever seen. 

Dutch and French maps of the town display grandeur with gold-weighted down palaces, huge ceremonies, and a traveling flotilla of buying and selling vessels from everywhere globally. All this got here to a brief give up when the Burmese invaded Ayutthaya in 1767 and nearly completely burnt the town.

CHARMING LOCATION:

Ayutthaya is an island at the confluence of three rivers: the Chao Phraya, Lopburi, and Pa Sak. As the train station is on the east bank of the island, most visitors will need to cross the river by ferry.

CITY REBUILDING:

The Burmese army attacked and razed the city in 1767, burned the town, and forced the residents to leave. The city was never rebuilt on the same site and is still known today as an extensive archaeological site. Currently, it is located in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province. The total area of ​​the World Heritage property is 289 ha. Once an important center of world trade and diplomacy, Ayutthaya is now an archaeological ruin characterized by the remains of high prang (relic towers) and Buddhist monasteries of monumental proportions, giving an impression of the former grandeur of the city and the splendor conveyed by its architecture.

UNIQUE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM:

Ayutthaya is known from contemporary sources and maps and was laid out according to a systematic and strict urban planning grid consisting of streets, canals, and ditches around all significant structures. The project took full advantage of the city’s location in the middle of three rivers and featured a technologically advanced hydraulic water management system that was unique worldwide.

LOCAL EXPERIENCES

Ayutthaya offers some wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in the local culture and find some real experiences aside from the ancient landmarks and official tourist attractions.

• MARKETS

Ayutthaya has a long trading history, so it’s not surprising that the city is still a commercial powerhouse. Across the main island, in particular, there are a slew of marketplaces that convey the vibrancy of the trading past into the present era.

Chao Phrom Market is a popular traditional market featuring food booths, Thai sweets, and well-known noodles businesses, as well as shops offering apparel, jewelry, and Buddha amulets.

Hua Ro Market, located on the shore at the confluence of two rivers in Ayutthaya, is another must-see local attraction. In Ro Market, located on the shore at the confluence of two rivers in Ayutthaya, is another must-see local attraction. In modern times, you may drink up the vibrancy of the food sector, with tables covered in fresh produce, while the permanent shopfronts get livelier during the day, selling clothes, household goods, and other necessities.

• BOAT NOODLES

Ayutthaya has an abundance of fantastic food, but one item you must try is ‘boat noodles,’ which are not only tasty but also an important part of the past.

Because the city was built around rivers and canals that crisscrossed the island, much of the city’s business took place on the water. Vendors of the Ayutthaya Kingdom took advantage of this by cooking noodles on their boats and selling them directly from there. This is the origin of the dish’s name.

The soup is typically served with pig or beef meatballs in a dark broth. It was served in little bowls because it was frequently eaten as a snack and was less likely to spill than if it were served in a large bowl.

Boat noodles are now served in restaurants, but many of them still have reproductions of boats around the chefs or other historical relics. The noodles are still served in small bowls, and residents frequently order many of them for a filling dinner.

• PALM WEAVING

One of the main crafts that Ayutthaya is known for is an item called a ‘pla taphian’, which is a mobile of fish made with palm leaves.

The leaves are woven together to make the shape of a barb fish, with an arrow-shaped head and large flashy tails. They can be colored or left natural, and there are normally several of them hanging off strings in the mobile.

Because the fish symbolizes prosperity and abundance, it was traditionally placed above a child’s bed to offer them good luck. This still occurs, but they are mostly used for ornamentation these days.

You may buy some of these mobiles or even join a workshop with the owners to learn how to manufacture them yourself at Sala Pla Thai.