Ayutthaya (/ɑːˈjuːtəjə/; Thai: อยุธยา, [ʔajúttʰajaː]; also spelled Ayudhya) was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1351 to 1767. Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders, including the Chinese,the Vietnamese ,the Indians,the Japanese and Persians ,Spanish, Dutch and French.
In the sixteenth century, it was described by foreign traders as one of the biggest and wealthiest cities in Asia. The court of King Narai (1656–88) had strong links with that of King Louis XIV of France, whose ambassadors compared the city in size and wealth to Paris.
By 1550, the kingdom controlled cities in the Malay Peninsula, in Sukhothai, and in parts of Cambodia. In foreign stories, Ayutthaya was called Siam, but many sources say the people of Ayutthaya called themselves Tai, and their kingdom Krung Tai, 'The Tai capital'. The word 'krung' has different meaninhs.
The kings of Ayutthaya were absolute monarchs with religious status. Their authority derived from Hinduism and Buddhism as well as from natural leadership. The king of Sukhothai would hear the complaint of any subject who rang the bell at the palace gate. The king was considered as a father by his peoole.