Bangkok & Ayutthyay: Past Glories and Thailand’s Future
In the 17th and 18th centuries, European trading companies, military adventurers and missionaries from England, France, Portugal and the Netherlands flooded the leading ports of Asia seeking economic and political opportunities from local rulers. One frequent destination for such overtures was the city of Ayutthaya located about 50 miles north of modern Bangkok.
Ayutthaya served as the capital of a powerful Siamese Kingdom that dominated large portions of Southeast Asia for several centuries starting around 1450 AD. Full of ornate temples, a formidable fleet of trading barges, and royal gold, Ayutthaya was known as the “Venice of the East”. Ayutthaya’s traditional rivals included the Burmese to the west and the Khmer people to the east. In 1767, the Burmese conquered Ayutthaya destroying the temples and taking everything of value back to their homeland. Fleeing south along the river, Ayutthaya’s displaced leaders regrouped after a decade and created a new capital on the west bank opposite today’s Bangkok. That settlement evolved into the independent nation of Thailand which was never colonized by the west and grew into a rising Asian nation of more than 70 million people.
Thailand has many diverse activities to offer visitors ranging from the popular beaches of the southern regions like Phuket and Pattaya to the festivals, cultural attractions and elephant camps of Chiang Mai. Eventually, most visitors spend four or five days in Bangkok. Wherever you go in Bangkok, you notice the pleasant nature of the people and their enthusiasm for life. Although political rivalries have created tension in recent years, Thais are united in their reverence for their King and the royal family.
During our visit to Thailand several years ago, we took in all the sites and some unique Bangkok experiences. These included:
Old City: The Old City located on the east bank of the river has some spectacular shrines and buildings. The Grand Palace served as the royal residence for several hundred years and includes dozens of gilded pagodas, galleries with paintings of the life of Buddha, throne rooms, and statues of various mythical beasts. It is also revered for the Wat Phra Kaeo temple shrine which features a carved emerald image of Buddha high atop an altar. Another popular place to visit in the Old City is the Temple of the Reclining Buddha which contains a 150-foot-long, gold plated Buddha embroidered with jewels and dusted with gold. That temple is also a traditional medicine institute served by several hundred monks where visitors can enjoy a Thai massage.
Longtail Boat Ride: Water is at the heart of all life in Bangkok. In addition to the Choa Payra River, there is an intricate network of canals that run inland for miles. Tens of thousands of city residents live along the canals on dry patches or in elevated houses with their own boats. The classic vessel in Bangkok is the longtail boat made famous worldwide by James Bond in the chase scene from the movie “The Man with the Golden Gun”. While I didn’t have to elude any pursuers, I did enjoy racing through the canals with my guide to enjoy this waterside view of city life and take in a rare cool breeze.
Thai Boxing: Another unusual form of entertainment in Bangkok is to visit the Lumphini Stadium to have a drink and watch Mooay Thai martial arts contests, sometimes referred to as kickboxing. Each event features about 10 five-round fights between spirited contestants who have been training at Mooay Thai schools from a young age. These matches have a more festive atmosphere than western boxing matches as the fans furiously bet in the stands throughout the contest and cheer enthusiastically. There is also a band which plays a strange chanting melody during each round to which the boxers bob and weave. Although some may find the contests too violent, it is milder than any wrestling or MMA contest on television.
Ayutthaya: A visit to Ayutthaya is also worthwhile. Most of the ancient city is located on an island surrounded by the region’s rivers. The ancient canals have been filled in and most of the buildings are elevated, but the entire World Heritage Site was still endangered by the historic Bangkok flood of 2011 which submerged some of the ruins. Today, there are several dozen large bronze colored temples, bell-shaped stupas and small palaces on the site, with murals depicting the history of past battles. Although most of the Buddha statues were decapitated by the Burmese, their heads have now been restored and their bodies are usually dressed in flowing yellow robes for dramatic effect. Visitors also enjoy the elephant stockade which is a large rectangular enclosure surrounded by high stakes. This was used in past centuries to train elephants for use in war or in transportation.
Modern Bangkok is struggling to find its place in the future of Asia. With its young population, independent spirit and reverence for tradition, this metropolis could join Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai in coming decades as a major economic force in Southeast Asia as well as remain one of the world’s top ten tourist destinations.
