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The Kingdom of Sukhothai came first. This was when Paris and London were little more than backwater villages, and the New World was only a speculation of the cartographers. But there was, in the Far East, a great, magnificent city, a kingdom in fact, and it was called Sukhothai. It was mighty, powerful and rich but in time it was overrun by a warring kingdom called Ayutthaya. Ayutthaya became even mightier and greater than Sukhothai. The Kingdom lasted for many hundreds of years until the Burmese invaded some two hundred years ago. The Burmese were eventually driven back by a Siamese general but, rather than rebuild Ayutthaya where it had once stood, the general moved his capital down river to Thonburi, across from a small but prosperous village known as Krungthep. After his death, the Chakri Dynasty came into power, and the new King, Rama I, moved the capital from Thonburi across the river to Krungthep, (today known as Bangkok). Later, after World War II, the name Siam was changed to Thailand.
Last week I mentioned what a magnificent city Ayutthaya was, but why, if the ancient capital was almost completely destroyed, do we travel there today? What is there to see? To find the answer I drove to Ayutthaya by car and parked at the southeastern edge of the city where the Pasak flows into the Chao Phraya. I had with me some old sketches made by French missionaries in 1680 when King Narai sat on the throne. I was, of course, impressed with the site where the Pasak joins the Chao Phraya-so wide and tranquil. A ferryboat crossed from Ayutthaya to the opposite shore and a tug pulling a string of barges came into view. Young couples sat on the grassy knoll looking out over the river. A lone fisherman tossed a line into the river. On a crumbling rampart behind me, young boys played on top of the wall shouting and waving for us to take their photographs.
To get a better perspective, we hired a boat with a canopy overhead for protection against the sun. We pulled away from the embankment, let the current slowly carry us away and suddenly I was enflamed with excitement. I couldn't believe it. I looked at one of my old sketches from 1680 and Ayutthaya leaped out at me. Here was a sketch I had pondered over for years. All the time I had thought the artist imagined the scene. Now when I looked upon the sketch and then the scene I could see the artist painted what he had seen.
There was the wall, perhaps crumbled for the most part, but there was no mistaking the rampart and the gate, the same gate King Narai passed through on elephant back after returning from a wild elephant hunt. Missing, of course, were the royal barges that the artist had captured in the sketch. When I looked down the Chao Phraya River, now empty, I could imagine the assortment of sea-going vessels that had lined the river--Chinese junks, Arabian dhows, Indian lighters, Macassar schooners and European square riggers. They formed a line that stretched for dozens of kilometres.
Although the ancient capital was largely leveled by the Burmese, large-scale restoration projects have made Ayutthaya one of the most important historical and cultural destinations in Thailand. The surviving monuments are widely scattered and a full day of exploration is necessary to appreciate the magnitude of Ayutthaya. I had covered that route many times but what I wanted now was a view from the klongs, or canals. I found it aboard the
boat we rented.
Looking at a map of Ayutthaya, it looks like a gigantic cartwheel with dozens of klongs radiating out from town. There are so many klongs and, when you are travelling on one, it's impossible to determine where you are most of the time-even with a map and compass, both of which I had. One moment we'd be travelling north and the next west. I gave up and decided to enjoy the ride.
Thais began digging klongs when their history first began but it was during the Ayutthaya period when international trade increased that the need to shorten transport distances between the capital and the sea was recognized. Between 1522 and 1722, the monarchs dug six major klongs, many which eventually not only shortened travel on the river but became the main streams.
In past days many of the klongs, aside from a means for transportation, became urban dwellings. By 1900, both sides of the river were floating habitations resting on rafts of bamboo moored to the shores, occupied by two, three and four families each.
Today the picture has changed. Aside from boat families who live aboard their barges, as they have done from one generation to another, municipal law prohibits living aboard any vessel or raft on the river.
Houseboat communities began to be phased out in the 1920s, and by the 1950s, only the barge families survived. In the late 1970s, legislation was passed to clear the canals of boat dwellers as well.
I guess what surprised me most was the beautiful homes along the klongs. Many were magnificent, and even a royal residence, all with their private landings. But you are constantly reminded of the grandeur of the past when you see, silhouetted against the horizon, great stupas and temples. Some are ancient, restored ruins, while others are modern and dazzling in the golden sunlight.
There is plenty to see from the klongs of Ayutthaya. But read your history book first and let your imagination take over.
Next week you won't have to do any imagining when I take readers fresh water fishing deep in the jungles of Asia.
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A map of Ayutthaya on display at the boat landing
Where the Pasak River flows into the Chao Phraya
Another view of the tributary
Rubble from the old wall, like a tombstone
A fisherman tosses a line into the river's historical spot
Sections of the old wall still remain
A lighthouse that stood for 400 years
The same wall and tower painted in 1682 still there
A chedi at a river junction
Private homes along the banks of the klongs
Boat building in Ayutthaya has not died out
The watchtower that has withstood time
The klongs may be muddy but kids love the water
A boat boy on a klong barge
A royal residence is all beauty
How about a room for the night on a klong boat
More houses on the banks of the klong
Some churches have stood for more than 400 years
Mosques too are part of the scene
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