Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya (city)

Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya (พระนครศรีอยุธยา, ; also spelled "Ayudhya"), or locally and simply Ayutthaya is the capital of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province of Thailand. Ayutthaya was the capital of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. Located on an island at the confluence of the Chao Phraya and Pa Sak rivers, Ayutthaya is the birthplace of the founder of Bangkok, King Rama I. The ruins of the old city are preserved in the Ayutthaya Historical Park.

Etymology


The name Ayutthaya is derived from Sanskrit अयोध्य - Ayodhya and is from the Thai national epic Ramakien; phra (from Khmer: preah ព្រះ ) is a prefix for a noun concerning a royal person, and nakhon (from Pali: nagara) designates an important or capital city.

History
Prior to Ayutthaya's traditional founding date, archaeological and written evidence has revealed that Ayutthaya may have existed as early as the late 13th century as a water-borne port town. King Mongkut in an article written in the mid-19th century and published in Canton, China, notes: "I am just availing myself of an opportunity for searching into some pages of Siamese ancient history, and beg to state that our ancient capital Ayuthia before the year AD 1350, was but the ruin of an ancient place belonging to Kambuja (now known as Cambodia), formerly called Lawek... There were other cities not far remote, also possessed by the Kambujans..."

Further evidence of this can be seen with Wat Phanan Choeng, which was founded in 1324, 27 years before Ayutthaya's official foundation.

Ayutthaya was officially founded in 1351 by King U Thong, who went there to escape a smallpox outbreak in Lopburi and proclaimed it the capital of his kingdom, often referred to as the Ayutthaya Kingdom or Siam. Ayutthaya became the second Siamese capital after Sukhothai. It is estimated that Ayutthaya by the year 1600 had a population of about 300,000, with the population perhaps reaching 1,000,000 around 1700, making it one of the world's largest cities at that time, when it was sometimes known as the "Venice of the East".

In 1767, the city was destroyed by the Burmese army, resulting in the collapse of the kingdom. The ruins of the old city are preserved in the Ayutthaya historical park, which is recognised internationally as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ruins, characterised by the prang (reliquary towers) and gigantic monasteries, give an idea of the city's past splendour. Modern Ayutthaya was refounded a few kilometres to the east.

Population
Since 2005, the population of Ayutthaya has been declining.

Geography
The city is about 40 mi north of Bangkok.

Climate
Ayutthaya, located in the central plains, is affected by three seasons:
 * Hot Season: March – May
 * Rainy season: June – October
 * Cool season: November – February

Museums

 * Ayutthaya Historical Study Centre
 * Chao Sam Phraya National Museum: The museum was specially display the objects excavated at Wat Racha Burana and Wat Maha That.

Other tourism sites
The city is located at the junction of the Chao Phraya, Lopburi and Pa Sak rivers, and on the main north–south railway linking Chiang Mai to Bangkok. The old city is on an island formed by a bend of the Chao Phraya on the west and south sides, the Pa Sak on the east side and the Klong Muang canal on the northern side.
 * Wang Luang
 * Wat Suwan Dararam
 * St. Joseph's Church
 * Baan Hollanda

The approximate centre of the old city is 14.33333°N, 100.56667°W.

=== Ayutthaya Night Market === The market offers a plethora of shopping opportunities, including a wide variety of food, clothing, and handicrafts. Visitors can enjoy traditional Thai dishes such as pad Thai, mango sticky rice, and tom yum soup, as well as a range of international cuisine. The market is also famous for its impressive array of souvenirs, including handmade bags, jewelry, and textiles. The atmosphere is lively and energetic, with street performers, music, and colorful lights adding to the festive ambiance.

=== The Floating Market of Ayutthaya === There is a lesser-known floating market in Ayutthaya called Klong Sabua which is more popular with Thai tourists than foreign travellers.

The main attraction is a Water Theatre, said to be the only one of its kind in Thailand, featuring live performances of Thai folk tales and Sepaa musicals.

Transport
Ayutthaya is accessible by air and rail.

Air
The closest airport is Bangkok's Don Mueang International Airport, a hub for regional budget carriers. An elevated walkway connects Terminal 1 to the Don Muang Train Station, where Ayutthaya-bound trains regularly roll through.

Rail
Trains to Ayutthaya leave Bangkok's Hua Lamphong Station approximately every hour between 04:20 am. and 10:00 pm. The 3rd class fare is 20 baht for the 1.5 hour trip. Train schedules are available from the information booth at Hua Lamphong Station, Bangkok.

In fiction

 * A Thailand-themed town named "Ayothaya" appears in the personal computer MMORPG Ragnarok Online.
 * Ayutthaya is a stage in Soul Calibur II.
 * The temples in Wat Phra Si Sanphet and Wat Ratchaburana from Ayutthaya appear in Street Fighter II, Kickboxer (as "Stone City"), Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat Annihilation, and throughout Mortal Kombat Conquest.
 * The lying Buddha statue from the Ayutthaya ruins appears in Sagat's stage in most of the Street Fighter games.
 * It was featured in the 2005 movie "The King Maker".
 * The 1630 destruction of the Japanese quarter of Ayutthaya at the orders of Prasat Thong and its consequences is central to one of the stories in the 1632 series anthology Ring of Fire III, "All God's Children in the Burning East" by Garrett W. Vance.
 * In the 2010 Nintendo DS game Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, the main characters visit the city of 'Ayuthay', which draws heavily on Thai culture and architecture.
 * A Thailand-themed map named "Ayutthaya" appears in the video game Overwatch.
 * Ayutthaya was featured in the 2016 video game Civilization VI as a non-playable city-state, boosting culture point generation in whichever civilization it is currently allied with.