The story of Ayutthaya always fascinated me. The capital city of the kingdom with the same name, it became one of the largest cities in the world at the height of its power - with a population reaching 1 million in 18th century.
The kingdom, also known as Siam, had several vassal states around mainland Southeast Asia; its conquest was responsible for the destruction of Angkor, the seat of the Khmer empire, in what is now Cambodia, in 14th century.
It was a bit of irony that the same fate befell the kingdom several centuries later. Months of sieges by the Burmese in 1765 brought the city to its knees; the invaders burned the city and killed practically everyone, including the king.
The degree of the destruction was still visible today. The old city is now a historical park, bearing the scars of war that were punctuated by the crumbling prangs scattered along the complex.
Ayutthaya is about 76 kilometers away from Bangkok. We arrived at the park just before noon, and there were not a …