Ayutthaya as a port city

Archeological evidence as well as legends and historical records show that Ayutthaya developed from a community in the lower Chaophraya River Basin into a major port that dealt in goods from many surrounding areas. Some goods were purchased from neighboring kingdoms and others were sent as tribute from all parts of the Siamese Kingdom. Many of the goods were processed in Ayutthaya for export to other countries in South and Southeast Asia, including ports on India's East Coast.

Starting in the mid - sixteenth century, ships from Ayutthaya plied the Asian seas and traded at various ports. When Europeans began to visit the city in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries they found a bustling port with a great variety of products that could be bought for export.

Dhow
This type of boat has been around since ancient times and can still be found in use in parts of the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea.

Galliot
In the nineteenth century the Dutch East India Company used these mid-sized boats for trade in Asia.

Chinese junk
Chinese junks plied the waters of South and Southeast Asia and were the most commonly sighted boats to visit the Ayutthaya port.

Carrack
Carracks from Spain and Portugal reached Asia in the eighteenth century.

International trade routes
Ayutthaya kings engaged in maritime trade with ports in China, Ryukyu, Japan, Melaka, java, Annam, Champa and Indian and Persian ports starting in the late sixteenth century. By the eighteenth century merchants from Portugal, Holland, England and France began to visit Ayutthaya.

Domestic trade routes
Tribute, in the form of agricultural produce or other items of value, was collected from all parts of the kingdom and stored at major towns such as Phitsanulok, Tak, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Marit before being transported, mainly by rivers and canals, to Ayutthaya. Towns in the northeast and Phratabong in present day Cambodia sent their tribute mainly by ox cart along mountain passes. These routes were used for the exchange of goods between Ayutthaya, its foreign trade partners, and all inner parts of the kingdom.

Trade in the Ayutthaya Era
The Royal Treasury Department was responsible for managing the king's assets, trade and international relations. The king had a monopoly on certain controlled goods such as sappan wood, eagle wood, leather, tin and rice. Trade was carried out on a government-to-government basis or through private companies. Sometimes Ayutthaya exported its goods on its own ships and sometimes merchants from other countries came to Ayutthaya to purchase and export goods themselves. Ayutthaya was also a center for trading goods produced in other countries.

View from Pompetch Fortress
The point where the Chaophraya and Pasak rivers meet was an important commercial area. Looking out from Pompetch Fortress one could see busy markets both in the water and on land, especially near Wat Mai Bangkacha Temple and Wat Phanan Choeng Temple, where people were engaged in trading a wide variety of goods. Tribute from other parts of the kingdom was stored or repackaged for export. Boats from other countries docked at the port or used the repair service, and warehouses and naval arsenals were located in this area.

Ayutthaya's trade relations with China
China was an important trade partner to Siam for a long time. Many Chinese immigrants came to live in Ayutthaya and some were given positions in the Royal Treasury Department to oversee trade with nations in South and Southeast Asia.

Ayutthaya's trade relations with Holland
In the mid - eighteenth century King Naresuan the Great gave permission for the Dutch East India Company to set up a trade station in Ayutthaya. Dutch merchants then bought products such as leather, sappan wood, tin, and pepper to sell in other countries.

The coronation ceremony
The coronation ceremony used in the Ayutthaya Era was derived from the Brahman belief written in the Law of Three Seals that the king's power and merit were so great that the god Indra bestowed him with special royal ornaments and weapons, Brahman, Buddhist and local animist elements were incorporated into the ceremony. In practice, the ceremony served as a declaration of the king's power as ruler of the universe.

Conflicts and challenges to the throne
Several times during the Ayutthaya Era conflicts of power arose among members of the royal family or leaders of different parts of the empire. Often these leaders or other people of influence attempted to take over the throne. Sometimes these events served to strengthen the absolute monarchy system, however. An example is the rise to power of Chaophraya Klahom Suriyawong, who was crowned as King Prasat Thong.

Royal pilgrimages to the Buddha Footprint
The Buddha Footprint at Saraburi was an important pilgrimage destination in the Siamese Kingdom. In latter Ayutthaya Era it became a tradition that the king should lead a pilgrimage to the Buddha Footprint regularly. The grand royal procession over land and by water was a display of the king's power and hanor that continued on into the Rattankosin Era.

Ayutthaya as capital

Ayutthaya was originally founded in 1350 and over the next few decades developed to be the capital of the Siamese Kingdom. Ayutthaya is like and island surrounded by three rivers that act as natural barriers for defense. In addition, the rivers brought large and small boats from other important towns in the kingdom and from other nations to engage in commerce. Ayutthaya was both the administrative and the economic center of the kingdom and was filled with a great diversity of people from different areas.

A map of Ayutthaya drawn by a foreign visitor in the seventeenth century seems quite realistic. It shows a neat grid of streets and canals dividing sections of the city into the royal palace areas, government buildings, royal temples and common temples, residential areas, and markets that warranted the city's nickname of "Venice of the East."

Maps of Ayutthaya
Map of Ayutthaya in 1686.
The shape of the city-island is not very accurate but it clearly shows the locations of important landmarks in the city and along the waterways.

Map of Ayutthaya drawn by an English mapmaker in the seventeenth century.
This map gives a fairly accurate representation of the city, its waterways, and the locations of important places. Map of Ayutthaya in 1680 The rivers, canals, and roads in the city are very accurately drawn. Map of Ayutthaya in 1693. This map was drawn by de la Loubere, the French Ambassador during the reign of King Narai. It shows the general shape of the city and the surrounding areas where foreign enclaves were located.

Wat Chai Wattanaram Temple
Wat Chai Wattanaram Temple symbolizes the pinnacle of the art of the Ayutthaya period. It was built during the reign of King Prasat Thong at a time when the kingdom was quite stable and Ayutthaya was a thriving international center of commerce, It was built near the end of the Ayutthaya period, so it shows the degree of recovery of the kingdom after the first time it was sacked. The main stupa of the temple is built to model Sumerumart, of the Golden Mountain, the spiritual center of the universe, surrounded by lesser mountains, reflecting the influence of the art of the ancient Khmer kingdom.

Buddha image in Royal Regalia
The dressing of a Buddha image in royal regalia demonstrates the Buddha's status as emperor of the universe. This custom began before the Ayutthaya period but was revived in the reign of King Prasat Thong to show the king's great merit and his status as a universal ruler. Several such Buddha images were made, but the most impressive is that at Wat Na Phra Meru Temple.

Wat Mahathat Temple
Wat Mahathat Temple is a symbol of Ayutthaya as a religious center. It follows a tradition that began before the Ayutthaya period of having a central stupa containing a fragment of the remains of the Lord Buddha as the main spiritual center of every city. Royal religious ceremonies were held there. The stupa was also an important place of worship for all, who visited the city. The stupa pictured here takes the form of a prang (corncob shaped stupa) modeled after that of Prasart Khom in Lopburi.

The Grand Palace
The ruined palace of Ayutthaya is the first Grand Palace of Siam, designed in the seventeenth century. It served as the model for the building of the Grand Palace of the Rattanakosin Era, or the period after the capital was relocated to Bangkok. The Grand Palace was the center of government and a symbol of the prosperity of the kingdom. The Grand Palace of Ayutthaya had three layers of walls surrounding it. The innermost area was the residence of the royal family and the most important royal officials. Outside this were throne halls, reception areas, and government buildings for carrying out important ceremonies and the business of government. In the outer area one of the royal temples was located.

The Elephant Kraal
During the Ayutthaya period elephants were used in war. Ayutthaya was continually involved in wars to expand its territory and to protect against encroachment by neighboring states. Thus, elephants were a very important resource. The stronger kings would frequently visit various towns in the empire to oversee the rounding of up of wild elephants for the army. The elephant kraal located on the bank of Lopburi River just north of Ayutthaya was often used to round up and contain elephants driven down from the north. The king always presided over the ceremonies to receive new elephants.

The importance of elephants in Ayutthaya society
When royal ceremonies were held that involved travel on land rather than water, most Ayutthaya monarchs chose to ride by elephant caravan.

In war elephants were the most essential means of transport. The kings or generals would lead army on elephant back, and battle on elephant back was considered the most honorable means of combat.

For trade with far - reaching areas elephant caravans were important for transporting goods.

White elephants were considered rare items of value demonstrating the king's good karma, power, and influence.

Ayutthaya Historical Studies Center

The Ayutthaya Historical Studies Center is a national research center dedicated to the study of the period of Thai history when Ayutthaya was the capital. The center aims to provide a quick and easy way for secondary school and university students and the general public to learn about the life, society, and culture of Ayutthaya. Subject areas covered at the center's exhibits are:
1. Ayutthaya as capital : displaying the prosperity of the Ayutthaya period.
2. Ayutthaya as an international port : covering Ayutthaya's international relations.
3. Ayutthaya as the center of administrative power : covering the relationship between the king and his subjects and royal ceremonies.
4. Everyday life of the common people : covering the way of life, beliefs, religious rituals, mural paintings and folk culture of common people.
5. Ayutthaya's relations with foreign powers.

Ayutthaya Historical Studies Center
The Ayutthaya Historical Studies Center is a national research center dedicated to the study of Ayutthaya, especially the period when Ayutthaya was the capital of Siam. It is also a museum of Ayutthaya history displaying models that were derived from research into Ayutthaya history. A database and library about Ayutthaya history are also housed here.

Wat Yai Chai Mongkol Temple
The chedi. or stupa, at Wat Yai Chai Mongkol Temple is the largest and tallest in Ayutthaya. It is a symbol of the city that can be seen from afar.

Considering its architectural design, experts believe the stupa was built even before Ayutthaya was founded. King Naresuan the Great had it restored and built some additions to commemorate his great victory in battle over the Burmese. He named it "Chai Mongkol" or "Auspicious Victory"