Ayutthaya The Venice In The East
To understand what to see and where to go in Ayutthaya, it is essential to
understand the geography of the area. Consequently that needs to understand the
significance of water, river and canals in Siamese living then and as later
duplicated down south in Bangkok following the total demolition of Ayutthaya by
the Burmese.
The ancient City of Ayutthaya is positioned on an Island surrounded by three
rivers, The Lopburi River on the north side, The Pa Sak River on the east side
and the Chao Phraya River on the west and south sides. From olden Mon times and
even primitive settlements town were bordered by moats and earthen mounds, and
later walls. Ayutthaya was the grandest water and walled protected system of
its kind in South East Asia.
Water was not just a means of defense but also the means of transportation
for domestic and international trade. Its site in Central Thailand provided
river transport to all those cities on the Central Thailand and Northern
Thailand river flows.
