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Kings of Thailand and Their Wars

Published: 22.06.2026

One sits on one of the camping chairs at a folding table and orders the national noodle dish Pad Thai along with a Chang beer. The delicious meal and the cool drink cost about 200 Baht, or just over five Euros.</p> <p>Ayutthaya was founded in 1350 and served as the capital of the Kingdom of Siam for more than four centuries, becoming a cosmopolitan trading hub between China, Japan, India, Persia, and Europe, with residential and commercial quarters for Chinese, Japanese, Persians, Portuguese, Dutch, and of course Thais. Around 1600, it was home to 200,000 to 300,000 people.</p> <p><b>Victories and Defeats</b></p> <p>Ayutthaya also pursued an aggressive expansionist policy: its army besieged and captured the city of Angkor, the capital of the Khmer Empire, now Cambodia, in 1431. About 200 or 300 years earlier, Angkor had been the second-largest metropolis in the world, with 700,000 to 900,000 inhabitants, after Hangzhou in China, ahead of Delhi, Baghdad, Cairo, and Paris. In the 12th century, the Khmer Empire expanded to about one million square kilometers through bloody conquests, three times larger than the Federal Republic of Germany. Today's Thailand and Laos, as well as parts of Vietnam, Myanmar, and Malaysia were under Khmer rule.</p> <p>When the Kingdom of Siam conquered parts of the Khmer Empire in the 15th century, Angkor was already in decline because the complex irrigation systems no longer functioned, and the Khmer rulers moved their center 300 km south to Chaktomuk, present-day Phnom Penh.</p> <p><b>City on an Island</b></p> <p>Ayutthaya's historical center is located on an island formed by the confluence of three rivers – the Chao Phraya, which also meanders through Bangkok further south, the Pa Sak, and the Lopburi. On the island, summarized in a
One sits on one of the camping chairs at a folding table and orders the national noodle dish Pad Thai along with a Chang beer. The delicious meal and the cool drink cost about 200 Baht, or just over five Euros.</p> <p>Ayutthaya was founded in 1350 and served as the capital of the Kingdom of Siam for more than four centuries, becoming a cosmopolitan trading hub between China, Japan, India, Persia, and Europe, with residential and commercial quarters for Chinese, Japanese, Persians, Portuguese, Dutch, and of course Thais. Around 1600, it was home to 200,000 to 300,000 people.</p> <p><b>Victories and Defeats</b></p> <p>Ayutthaya also pursued an aggressive expansionist policy: its army besieged and captured the city of Angkor, the capital of the Khmer Empire, now Cambodia, in 1431. About 200 or 300 years earlier, Angkor had been the second-largest metropolis in the world, with 700,000 to 900,000 inhabitants, after Hangzhou in China, ahead of Delhi, Baghdad, Cairo, and Paris. In the 12th century, the Khmer Empire expanded to about one million square kilometers through bloody conquests, three times larger than the Federal Republic of Germany. Today's Thailand and Laos, as well as parts of Vietnam, Myanmar, and Malaysia were under Khmer rule.</p> <p>When the Kingdom of Siam conquered parts of the Khmer Empire in the 15th century, Angkor was already in decline because the complex irrigation systems no longer functioned, and the Khmer rulers moved their center 300 km south to Chaktomuk, present-day Phnom Penh.</p> <p><b>City on an Island</b></p> <p>Ayutthaya's historical center is located on an island formed by the confluence of three rivers – the Chao Phraya, which also meanders through Bangkok further south, the Pa Sak, and the Lopburi. On the island, summarized in a
historical park,
historical park,
lie the remnants of the former royal palace, surrounded by the ruins of some significant temples.</p> <p>The stupas of the 15th-century temple Phra Si Sanphet house the ashes of deceased kings. Wat Mahathat presents a frequently photographed motif: after the destruction of Ayutthaya, a stone Buddha head remained on the ground. Over time, it was embraced by the massive roots of a banyan tree and grew tall with them. The head amid the root structure is a monument to the transience of man and the power of nature.</p> <p>Also in the city center, but outside the historical park, stands Wat Lokayasutharam. Here, one finds a 42-meter-long, eight-meter-high reclining Buddha from the 14th century, open to the sky. Despite its age and weather exposure, the massive statue made of bricks and stucco is well preserved.</p> <p><b>City Tour by Water</b></p> <p>The extraordinary geographic situation of the old town allows for a unique experience in the early evening, just before sunset. When the tourist crowds have left, one can glide around the old city on a riverboat, visit a temple here, an ancient site there, and admire the traditional stilt houses and the occasional temple along the riverside.</p> <p>The completely intact Wat Phanan Choeng lies on the east bank of the Chao Phraya at the confluence with the Pa Sak. It was built in the early 14th century, even before Ayutthaya's official founding. The interior of the main building is nearly filled with a gigantic, gilded Buddha statue, 19 meters high, almost 700 years old, making it one of the largest and oldest bronze statues in Thailand. Devout followers prostrate themselves; one feels small and insignificant in the presence of this overpowering statue.</p> <p>Afterward, we visit Wat Chaiwatthanaram, an expansive temple complex from the 17th century on the west bank of the Chao Phraya outside the island. The central temple tower or Prang in the middle is surrounded by smaller towers and galleries. Visitors wander through the complex, impressed by the imposing presence of this site. The tall towers in Khmer style glow in the evening light with a deep terracotta red, becoming the aesthetic and emotional highlight of our boat tour.</p> <p><b>Overrun, Plundered, Burned</b></p> <p>The Kingdom of Ayutthaya was the dominant power in Southeast Asia for hundreds of years. However, in 1767, the glorious, lively capital came to a sudden end: after a long siege, the army of the neighboring country of Burma (now Myanmar) overran the city, looted it, burned it down, and murdered or expelling the population.</p> <p>What remains is a vast open-air museum, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991. However, Ayutthaya is more than just a heap of old stones. It is a place that teaches that power and importance are fleeting, but dignity can outlast decline – a comforting thought when one has long surpassed their peak.</p>
lie the remnants of the former royal palace, surrounded by the ruins of some significant temples.</p> <p>The stupas of the 15th-century temple Phra Si Sanphet house the ashes of deceased kings. Wat Mahathat presents a frequently photographed motif: after the destruction of Ayutthaya, a stone Buddha head remained on the ground. Over time, it was embraced by the massive roots of a banyan tree and grew tall with them. The head amid the root structure is a monument to the transience of man and the power of nature.</p> <p>Also in the city center, but outside the historical park, stands Wat Lokayasutharam. Here, one finds a 42-meter-long, eight-meter-high reclining Buddha from the 14th century, open to the sky. Despite its age and weather exposure, the massive statue made of bricks and stucco is well preserved.</p> <p><b>City Tour by Water</b></p> <p>The extraordinary geographic situation of the old town allows for a unique experience in the early evening, just before sunset. When the tourist crowds have left, one can glide around the old city on a riverboat, visit a temple here, an ancient site there, and admire the traditional stilt houses and the occasional temple along the riverside.</p> <p>The completely intact Wat Phanan Choeng lies on the east bank of the Chao Phraya at the confluence with the Pa Sak. It was built in the early 14th century, even before Ayutthaya's official founding. The interior of the main building is nearly filled with a gigantic, gilded Buddha statue, 19 meters high, almost 700 years old, making it one of the largest and oldest bronze statues in Thailand. Devout followers prostrate themselves; one feels small and insignificant in the presence of this overpowering statue.</p> <p>Afterward, we visit Wat Chaiwatthanaram, an expansive temple complex from the 17th century on the west bank of the Chao Phraya outside the island. The central temple tower or Prang in the middle is surrounded by smaller towers and galleries. Visitors wander through the complex, impressed by the imposing presence of this site. The tall towers in Khmer style glow in the evening light with a deep terracotta red, becoming the aesthetic and emotional highlight of our boat tour.</p> <p><b>Overrun, Plundered, Burned</b></p> <p>The Kingdom of Ayutthaya was the dominant power in Southeast Asia for hundreds of years. However, in 1767, the glorious, lively capital came to a sudden end: after a long siege, the army of the neighboring country of Burma (now Myanmar) overran the city, looted it, burned it down, and murdered or expelling the population.</p> <p>What remains is a vast open-air museum, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991. However, Ayutthaya is more than just a heap of old stones. It is a place that teaches that power and importance are fleeting, but dignity can outlast decline – a comforting thought when one has long surpassed their peak.</p>
Diving into the history of the countries I travel to is one of my favorite activities. Thus, in early February 2026, I explored the glorious past of the Kingdom of Siam in Ayutthaya.
Diving into the history of the countries I travel to is one of my favorite activities. Thus, in early February 2026, I explored the glorious past of the Kingdom of Siam in Ayutthaya.
Ayutthaya, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Ayutthaya, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Ayutthaya, Food at the Night Market
Ayutthaya, Food at the Night Market
Ayutthaya, Night Market
Ayutthaya, Night Market
Ayutthaya, Historical Park
Ayutthaya, Historical Park
Ayutthaya, Historical Park
Ayutthaya, Historical Park
Ayutthaya, Historical Park
Ayutthaya, Historical Park
Ayutthaya, Phra Si Sanphet
Ayutthaya, Phra Si Sanphet
Buddha Head, Wat Mahathet
Buddha Head, Wat Mahathet
Wat Lokayasutharam
Wat Lokayasutharam
Ayutthaya, Temple by the Riverside
Ayutthaya, Temple by the Riverside
Temple Complex by the Riverside
Temple Complex by the Riverside
Ayutthaya, Wat Phanan Choeng
Ayutthaya, Wat Phanan Choeng
Worth seeing
Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya, Thailand
Eat
Nachtmarkt Ayutthaya
$ · Dinner
Attraction
Geschichtspark Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya, Thailand
Attraction
Wat Phra Si Sanphet
Ayutthaya, Thailand
Attraction
Wat Mahathat
Ayutthaya, Thailand
Attraction
Wat Lokayasutharam
Ayutthaya, Thailand
Attraction
Wat Phanan Choeng
Ayutthaya, Thailand
Attraction
Wat Chaiwatthanaram
Ayutthaya, Thailand
Worth seeing
Angkor
Angkor, Cambodia
Worth seeing
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Most tourists come for a day: From Bangkok, about 80 km south, they take buses, vans, and taxis to Ayutthaya, rush to the sights, take selfies, and are back by late afternoon. I arrived on February 4, 2026, after spending a few weeks on Samui Island and then at my retreat in Hua Hin. I stayed for three days.

Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Siam, is not just an impressive collection of ruins and temple complexes, but at its core, an attractive provincial city. In the evening, one recovers from all the overwhelming impressions with a relaxed stroll through the night market. A street kitchen claims, albeit slightly exaggerated, to offer the

At a glance

Automatically extracted from the post
Length of time
3 Days
Mood
CulturalRelaxingCulinary
Highlights
  • Geschichtspark Ayutthaya mit Tempelruinen
  • Nachtmarkt mit Pad Thai und Chang-Bier
  • Bootsfahrt rund um die Altstadt bei Sonnenuntergang
  • Wat Phanan Choeng
  • Wat Chaiwatthanaram
  • Wat Mahathat mit Buddha-Kopf im Wurzelwerk
Topics
CityCultureEatStoryArchitectureTransit
Cost
  • Pad Thai und Chang-Bier am NachtmarktTHB 200
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#ayutthaya#siam#koenigreichsiam#thailand#birma#myanmar#buddha#buddhismus#chaophraya#chaoprayafluss#weltstadt#welthandel#handelszentrum#khmer#koenig#koenige#koenigreich#koenigreiche#angkorwat

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