Dutch Settlement. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) founded in 1602 was the largest and most impressive of the early modern trading companies operating in Asia. The Dutch established their first trading post in Ayutthaya in 1608. By the 1630s the Dutch received land and permission to build a lodge on the east bank of the Chaophraya river. The two-storey brick building was known to the Dutch as de logie and the settlement developed into a separate village. This building was destroyed by the invading Burmese armies in 1767. After being archaelogically excavated, the brick foundation of the building was found and during the celebrations of 400 years of Thai-Dutch relations, H.M. Queen Beatrix donated a royal gift to establish an information centre near the site of the Dutch lodge. The Thai Fine Arts Department excavated the site and found many artifacts, such as Chinese porcelain, Dutch pipes and a coin. The construction of the museum began in 2010 and has just been finished (April 2011). 'Baan Hollanda' museum will open in July 2011. (more information in the 'Museums' section) �
Japanese Settlement. There's nothing left of the Japanese Settlement, so instead, the Japanese government decided to create a Japanese-style park at the location of where the Japanese Settlement probably must have been. The Ayutthaya Historical Study Centre started a branch here, a museum about Ayutthaya's foreign relations with Japan and other countries. It starts with an interesting film lasting about 15 minutes and then you can explore the museum on your own: very interesting and definitely gives a good background of the city's history. �
Portuguese Settlement, (south of the island, access via route 3413 after turning south from the bridge connecting the island, past Wat Chaiwatthanaram and Phutthai Sawan), . A scattering of ruins, highlighted by the Dominican church. Inside the church are the excavated remains of members of the settlement. It is kind of an eerie sight, but interesting. The skeletons of those inside the church apparently belong to those who were of higher status within the settlement, like priests. It was said to be the largest community of Westerners after it was settled in the early 1500s. The settlement was destroyed in 1767 after the fall of Ayutthaya.Free, donation suggested. �
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Ayutthaya
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Ayutthaya - updated Apr 2024
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Ayutthaya Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
