Former capital of the Kingdom of Siam, Ayutthaya surrendered its status a few centuries ago. It has gone on to become one of Thailand's leading historical sites, with an incredible collection of ruins in the city center. Many visitors arrive from Bangkok by bus or train and find accommodation in Ayutthaya along the popular Naresuan Road.
Ayutthaya was founded here on a bend of the Chao Phraya River in the mid-14th century. The Burmese laid siege in the 1767, and it took more than a year for the city to fall. While much of Ayutthaya's grandeur was lost, the ruins that remain are timeless, and yet hint at the kingdom's former power.