AYUTTHAYA HISTORICAL RESEARCH



THE ELEPHANT KRAAL





“Phaniat, the place where the elephants are kept and the kings are crowned...” (Jeremias Van Vliet, 1692)


The Elephant Kraal is located off the City Island, along the west bank of the new Lopburi River in the northeastern Suan Phrik Sub-district. The elephant kraal in Ayutthaya is the only one remaining in Thailand and is located 4 km northeast of the city, along Road No. 309. The area was known in earlier times as Thamle Ya, or the "grass locality", as the whole area was a large grass field. In its immediate vicinity are the War Elephants Monument, the Phaniat Palace and an old kiln.


Siamese history is deeply intertwined with the cultural, political, and religious significance of elephants. These revered animals occupy a prominent place in the Royal Chronicles, and foreign visitors' accounts consistently highlight their striking presence. Elephants feature extensively in vernacular narratives and are depicted in numerous temple murals throughout the region. Across the centuries, they have served as essential labourers, instruments of warfare, and integral participants in ritual and ceremonial life. White elephants, in particular, were accorded exceptional prestige, frequently regarded as manifestations of royal virtue or as auspicious portents.


Elephant kraals already existed in the Dvaravati period, before the establishment of Ayutthaya in 1351 CE. A well-known example is the Khok Chang Din, an archaeological ruin complex at the foot of Khao Khok Hill near the ancient city of U-Thong, Suphanburi province. The complex consisted of two parts. The first was a structure surrounded by high earthen mounds, resembling a large animal trap. Therefore, the locals called it Khok Chang Din, or Earthen Elephant Enclosure. The second part consisted of sixteen platform-like or shrine-like buildings. [1]





(Map of the Khok Chang Din archaeological complex at U-Thong - Picture taken February 2022 CE)



A similar site, surrounded by high earthen mounds, exists in Lopburi, outside the Phaniat City Gate, within the King Narai the Great Military Camp. The elephant corral lies outside the city walls on the eastern side. It is a rectangular earthen enclosure, as recorded by Chevalier de Chaumont, the French ambassador, who stated that King Narai ordered elephants captured and displayed within it. Archaeological excavations have revealed that the area within the corral was used as an elephant resting place before they entered the city through the nearby gate. Therefore, it may have been used as a demonstration site for elephant capture at that time. Archaeological evidence dates the site to approximately the 17th century CE, but it closely resembles the U-Thong elephant trappings from the Dvaravati era. [2]





(Earthen mound kraal in Lopburi - Picture taken June 2025)



The first elephant kraal


The first elephant kraal of Ayutthaya was initially located in the present-day Hua Ro area, between Wat Khun Saen and Wat Song. Remnants of Wat Song could still be seen in the 20th century. Wat Song was located just south of the present Hua Ro Market, near the Ayutthaya Thani Hotel. Wat Song is mentioned in the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya.


“About seven days later, a herd of elephants, breaking out of the cover of the jungle, came in toward Mae Nang Plüm Monastery and entered a corral at Sòng Monastery. The chief ministers informed the King, who said, "Tomorrow we will go to catch them." [3]


The document “Tamnan Krung Kao,” or “The Legend of the Old City,” by Phraya Boran Ratchathanin mentions the birth of the first elephant enclosure.


“…when the city was first built, that area was a sandy beach and low-lying plain. Even now, when digging down a cubit or so, the bottom is found to be sand. Later, as the city grew on higher ground and expanded, an elephant enclosure was built between Wang Chan Kasem and the area that is now Wat Khun Saen and Wat Song. Some areas were also used as places to release and graze the royal elephants.” [4]


Another confirmation of the existence of the first kraal is found in Phraya Boran Ratchathanin's “Explanation of the Ayutthaya map”.


“The royal pavilion at Phaniat, originally, when Ayutthaya was first built, was located beyond the northeastern wall of the city, beyond Wat Senasanaram. The elephant enclosure was at Wat Song, which is the location of the Krung Kao District Office today.” [5]


After the first fall of Ayutthaya in 1569 CE, King Maha Thammaracha (reign 1569-1590 CE) realised the city's poor defences and observed the Burmese attackers' use of the dry land in front of the city walls. The king assessed that the eastern part of the city needed better protection, and between 1577 and 1580 CE, he ordered the construction of a series of defensive structures, including extensions to the eastern city wall and fortresses, which incorporated the elephant enclosure into the city and thus made it unusable. A new kraal was therefore constructed north of the city in an area now called “Phaniat”. The present Elephant Kraal dates back to the late 16th century.


“Later, during the reign of King Maha Chakkraphat, the enclosure was moved to the Thale Ya Sub-district. The city wall was extended on this side, towards the riverbank, which is the location on the road in front of Wang Chan today.” [6]





(Wat Song on a 19th-century map)



The Khocha Prawet Maha Prasat


The Khocha Prawet Maha Prasat was one of the five palaces outside the city, as mentioned in old documents. According to the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya, King Narai (reign 1656-1688 CE) ordered its construction in 1657 CE. It consisted of a main building and an assembly hall, primarily used for royal ceremonies in the Phaniat area. The outlook from the Khocha Prawet Maha Prasat pavilion, where the kings watched the elephant-trapping ceremony, is a large cage surrounded by logs, with fencing lines at 45 degrees extending from the front centre to both sides, far into the former jungle area.


The structure was adjacent to the elephant-trapping area and was an important site for legitimising the Ayutthayan Kings. We read in Jeremias Van Vliet's “Short History of the Kings of Siam 1640” that the place was used for the king's abhiseka ceremony, specifically for King Naresuan (reign 1590-1605 CE). Van Vliet's account has a macabre edge, as King Naresuan had all the rowers of the Royal Barges executed at this spot after his Royal Barge was carelessly landed on the occasion of his coronation.


“He ordered the royal boats to be made ready and the mandarins to go by boat with him to the Phaniat (the place where the elephants are kept and the kings are crowned) in order to proclaim him king and swear oaths of allegiance to him. On arrival at Phaniat, Phra Naret’s rowers made an error in the process of landing, which he left unpunished at that time. He was crowned with the proper solemnities when he was thirty five years old and was called Phra Naret Rachathirat. After having been crowned, he had all rowers in his boat, as well as those in the other royal boats (about 1600 men), burnt alive in that same place.” [7]





(The Khocha Prawet Maha Prasat – Picture taken September 2002 CE)



The Elephant Kraal on old maps

The Valentyn map

François Valentyn (1666-1727 CE) is an important historian of the Dutch East India Company (V.O.C.), best known for his encyclopaedic, illustrated account of the Dutch trading Empire in Asia, "Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën" (Amsterdam, 1724-1726 CE).

In the chapter "Beschryvinge van Siam en onsen Handel aldaar", there is a detailed map of the Chao Phraya River and beyond, named "Groote Siamse Rievier Me-Nam Of Te Moeder Der Wateren In haren loop met de vallende Spruyten Verbeeld”. [8]

Valentyn indicates position 61 as Duing Pinjet. The area shown in the detail is bounded on the west by the Lopburi River, including the Front Moat (Khu Khue Na), on the east by Khlong Hantra, and on the south by Khlong Ban Bat. In the middle of the (old) Lopburi River, you can see a bridge, the only bridge (Thamnop Ro) giving access to the city island.

In this detail, we observe neither the new Lopburi River (a post-Ayutthaya-era diversion) nor the new Pa Sak River stretches from Wat Pa Kho to Wat Phanan Choeng (a diversion made in the early 20th century). The northern part is one large whole, uncut by the waterways we know today.

The area north of the bridge is Phaniat (the Khocha Maha Prasat landmark is marked) the area south of the bridge is Mueang Doem (the Wat Doem landmark is visible). Under No 60, we find 'Pak zonsvat Duing', which I transcribe as the “Mouth of Khlong Wat Doem". This Doem (Duing) is found back in Duing Pinjet. Pinjet is the Dutch way of writing Phaniat.

Valentyn, however, has never visited Ayutthaya. Still, he corresponded with Aernout Cleur, the head of the Dutch settlement there in the early 18th century, who provided him with some of the information used to draft the map.





(Detail of Valentyn’s map "Groote Siamse Rievier Me-Nam Of Te Moeder Der Wateren In haren loop met de vallende Spruyten Verbeeld” – 1726 CE)



The Kaempfer map


Engelbert Kaempfer's map of the Chao Phraya River shows important geographical features dating from 1690 CE, the year of his visit to Ayutthaya. The map named "Mappa Meinam Fluvij Ad Orig. Eng. Kempfer delin, I.G.S" was published in 1727 CE as a part of his work "The History of Japan, together with a description of the kingdom of Siam, 1690-92". The map has a detail of the area around Ayutthaya. [9]


The present elephant enclosure site is indicated as “Campus Elephantorum” or “Elephant Field”. Between the field and the Thamnop Ro Bridge, marked by “Pons”, the Latin word for bridge, is a waterway that likely is Khlong Chedi Daeng, closing off the elephant field.





(Detail of the Mappa Meinam Fluvij Ad Orig. Eng. Kempfer delin, I.G.S - 1727 CE)



de La Loubere’s Map

Simon de La Loubère (1642-1729 CE) was sent in 1687 CE by Louis XIV as part of the second embassy to Siam to convert King Narai to Catholicism. His work "Du Royaume de Siam", first published in 1691 CE at Paris by Jean-Baptiste Coignard in two volumes, contained the map “Plan de la Ville de Siam”, measuring 33.5 cm by 16 cm, and was reproduced by Erltinger and engraved by Michault. In the map, the elephant enclosure is marked with the letter L: “Enceinte ou l’on prend les elephans”. Observe the wooden poles or “Sao Talung” in the image. [10]

We notice the Tamnop Ro Bridge and a road leading to the elephant enclosure. The waterway west of the kraal is the (old) Lopburi River the waterway to the north is likely Khlong Nam Ya, while the one to the east is probably part of the later post-Ayutthaya era Lopburi River.





(Detail of Simon de La Loubere’s map, Plan de la Ville de Siam - 1691 CE)



The post-Ayutthaya era


Many visitors in the late 19th and early 20th centuries had the opportunity to visit the Ayutthaya kraal. Sir John Bowring (1792-1882 CE), in his work “The Kingdom and People of Siam”, records an acquaintance’s visit to the elephant kraal in December 1853 CE.


“After visiting the ruins, therefore, we inspected the kraal or stockade in which the elephants are captured. This was a large quadrangular piece of ground, enclosed by a wall about six feet in thickness, having an entrance on one side, through which the elephants are made to enter the enclosure. Inside the wall is a fence of strong teak stakes driven into the ground a few inches apart. In the centre is a small house erected on poles, and strongly surrounded with stakes, wherein some men are stationed for the purpose of securing the animals. These abound in the neighbourhood of the city, but cannot exactly be called wild, as the majority of them have, at some time or other, been subjected to servitude. They are all the property of the king, and it is criminal to hurt or kill one of them. Once a year, a large number is collected together in the enclosure, and as many as are wanted of those possessing the points which the Siamese consider beautiful are captured. The fine points in an elephant are: a colour approaching to white or red, black nails on the toes (the common colour of these nails is black and white), and intact tails (for, owing to their pugnacious disposition, it is rarely that an elephant is caught which has not had its tail bitten off). On this occasion the kings, and a large concourse of nobles, assemble together to witness the proceedings, they occupy a large platform on one side of the enclosure. The wild elephants are then driven in by the aid of tame males of a very large size and great strength, and the selection takes place. If an animal which is wanted escapes from the kraal, chase is immediately made after it by a tame elephant, the driver of which throws a lasso to catch the feet of the fugitive. Having effected this, the animal on which he rides leans itself with all its power the opposite way, and thus brings the other violently to the ground. It is then strongly bound, and conducted to the stables. “Naturally enough, accidents are of common occurrence, men being frequently killed by the infuriated animals, which are sometimes confined two or three days in the enclosure without food.” [11]





(Image out of the work of Alexandre Henri Mouhot. Travels in the central parts of Indo-China (Siam), Cambodia, and Laos. London: John Murray, Albemarle Street, 1864)



George Blagden Bacon (1836-1879 CE), an American clergyman visiting Ayutthaya in 1857 CE, describes the site as follows:

"After visiting the ruins, therefore, we inspected the kraal or stockade, in which the elephants are captured. This was a large quadrangular piece of ground, enclosed by a wall about six feet in thickness, having an entrance on one side, through which the elephants are made to enter the enclosure. Inside the wall is a fence of strong teak stakes driven into the ground a few inches apart. In the centre is a small house erected on poles and strongly surrounded with stakes, wherein some men are stationed for the purpose of securing the animals. ...Once a year, a large number is collected together in the enclosure, and as many as are wanted of those possessing the points which the Siamese consider beautiful are captured. ... On this occasion the king and a large concourse of nobles assemble together to witness the proceedings they occupy a large platform on one side of the enclosure." [12]





(Elephant Enclosure – image attributed to John Thomson. 1865 CE – source: images.metmuseum.org/CRDImages/ph/original/DP-17301-048.jpg)



Peter Anthony Thompson (1876-? CE), fifty years later in 1905 CE, somehow sketches the following picture of the Elephant kraal:


"Beyond the busy lines of floating houses, on a tongue of land between two of the numerous branches of the river, stands the paniet or elephant stockade. This is a square enclosure of posts, ten feet high and about two feet apart. It is surrounded by a broad wall with a parapet, and at one end is a pavilion for the King and his court. On opposite sides of the stockade are two narrow openings, connected with passages which lead through the wall. These passages are closed by great beams which hang pivoted at one extremity from a frame-work overhead. They can easily be drawn aside by ropes, and when the tension is relaxed they swing back again, and bar the entrance. Outside the wall more posts are planted, so as to enclose a large triangular space, whose apex is at the narrow gap in the wall. In the base of the triangle a wide gate is left, and beyond this radiating lines of posts direct the advance of the elephants. This is the scene of the great "Elephant Hunt," which takes place once in every three or four years." [13]





(Postcard Wild Elephants Ajuthia out of the work of Besso, Salvatore. Siam and China. London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co. LTD, 1913)



Internet sources generally report that the last roundup of wild elephants in Thailand took place in 1903 CE. Thompson, however, gave a dramatic account of an elephant roundup in Ayutthaya two years later, in March 1905 CE.


"At length the final drive began. Led by two tame elephants, and closely hemmed in behind, the herd pressed forward into the outer stockade, and the bars were slipped behind them. They had still to face the narrow passage through the wall, leading to the inner enclosure, and this they did not like at all. As before, a tame elephant led the way, but it was not until the tuskers had come up and pushed and prodded those behind that the herd swayed towards the opening, and still those in front held back. At last one made a break and with a frightened squeal ran in, and he was followed by many others. In this way fifty or sixty elephants were got inside, but then a strange thing happened. Perhaps it was the sight of the great crowd pressing closely against the posts on every side that at length made the elephants realise that they were in a trap, but, whatever the cause, they were growing very restive, and remained huddled together in the centre of the stockade. Now and then they would crush against the posts, and one big fellow made a fierce charge in the attempt to regain his freedom. Then the posts creaked ominously, for though they look so stout they are hollow with age. When the elephants came near, the crowd outside gave way and prepared to fly, should they break out, but between the posts were stationed men who thrust with long spears at the elephants, and kept them back. Matters were now at a deadlock, for no more elephants would go through the opening, and those behind were pushing forward and boring into the throng, the little tuskers charging fiercely in with the best of them. As the crush grew worse some were trampled underneath and some were lifted off their feet, while in the very middle one great tuskless male was seen high above his fellows, walking upon the backs of those who had sunk to the ground. Then, mingled with the grunts and squeals, was heard the deep roar of anger, and on the outskirts of the scrum were some who slapped the ground with their trunks in rage. It was soon apparent that many of the smaller elephants were being crushed to death, and so the tame tuskers came round and drove the whole herd back again towards the river, but a pile of fifteen was left lying on the ground. Water was brought in long joints of bamboo, and poured over the prostrate elephants. A few recovered, and with the help of the tuskers regained their feet and joined the herd, but the greater number of them were dead. In the evening, after the crowd had gone, the rest of the herd was safely got inside the inner stockade." [14]





(Image out of the work of Joachim Antonio - Traveller's Guide to Bangkok and Siam - 1904 CE)



The British geographer and author Ernest Young (1869-1952 CE) published significant works on geography and travel, most notably his account of Siam, which included a description of the elephant round-up at the Ayutthaya enclosure.

“Once or twice a year there is a big elephant-hunt at Ayuthia, the old capital. At the beginning of the wet season orders are sent forth that elephants are to be collected. A number of men traverse the plain where the elephants have been allowed to roam unmolested, and drive them in towards the town. People of all classes go to Ayuthia to see the fun - Princes and peasants, Europeans and Asiatics, laymen and priests. There is a great deal of excitement, particularly when the elephants are expected. Presently an enormous tusker is seen. This is a tame elephant. He walks slowly in front, and the crowd of wild elephants behind who have taken him for their leader follow like a flock of sheep, except that they make more noise. Around the outside of the herd, there are other tame elephants carrying men on their backs who are armed with spears. At last they reach the river. They stop for a moment, but the big tusker marches on in front, and the others are pushing at the back, so into the water they all go. They swim to the other side of the river, and there the mounted elephants get the whole herd into line again, pretending all the while to be their friends. Then the tusker marches into a big enclosure set round with posts, and thence through a gateway into a second enclosure. By this time some of the wild elephants have an idea that they are being trapped, and they try to go back but the guard-elephants stand quite steady, and the men on their backs make good use of their spears. So at last the captives are brought into a square space surrounded by a high, thick wall, on which hundreds of spectators are crowded, watching the operations. This ends the first day. The next morning half a dozen tuskers are led into the enclosure, or paneat, as it is called. On the back of each elephant are two men, provided with long coils of rope. They look for those young elephants that they think can be trained to make strong and useful servants later on. Having chosen one, they chase him about, and, after a time, succeed in getting a noose under his foot, and in pulling the noose tightly up above the knee. The other end of the coil is thrown to the men upon the ground, and they make it fast to a post. When the youngster tries to run about again, he finds that he is held tightly by one leg. He shows his displeasure by the most heart-rending howls. As soon as a certain number have been tied up to posts, a gate is opened in the enclosure, and the uncaptured beasts are allowed to rush out on to the plain beyond. But they are not permitted to go back to their homes in the jungle a ring of mounted elephants surrounds the plain and keeps them within bounds. The young ones in the paneat are led out, one at a time, through a narrow gate. A tame elephant leads the way, and another follows. Once outside, three mounted elephants appear. One goes on each side of the captive, and the third follows behind. The captive is fastened by his neck to the necks of his brethren on either side, and in this humiliating way he is led to the stables. There he is tied by the neck and one leg to a post. After about three years he has lost his temper, become gentle, and can then be taught to work. Other elephants are noosed in the open, but in the evening, after a bathe in the river, the herd goes back to the paneat. When as many elephants have been chosen as are wanted, the rest are set free, and allowed to wander at liberty for another twelve months.” [15]





(Image out of the work of Ernest Young - Peeps at Many Lands: Siam - 1908 CE)



Present


The restoration of Ayutthaya's ancient kraal, the elephant-trapping pen, began in October 2007 CE. All 980 ageing logs in the fence surrounding the enclosure were replaced. The "sao talung" are the major component of the pen, or "Phaniat Klong Chang", into which wild elephants were driven for elephant-trapping ceremonies during the Ayutthaya period. All the old timber was replaced under a 16 million Baht restoration project, launched to mark King Rama IX's 80th birthday in December 2007 CE. The governor presided over the ceremony, during which the first log was uprooted from the ground. A ritual was performed to obtain permission from the deities before the ceremony began, as the kraal is traditionally a sacred place.


The Elephant Kraal, including several ancient monuments, was designated a protected area under the authority of the Fine Arts Department, based on Section 5 of the Act on Ancient Monuments, Antiquities, Art Objects and National Museums 1934 CE, by publication in the Royal Gazette, Volume 58, Section 16, dated 18 March 1941 CE.


In accordance with the Act on Ancient Monuments, Antiquities, Art Objects, and National Museums, and pursuant to the authority granted by Section 7 of the Act on Ancient Monuments, Antiquities, Art Objects, and National Museums (1962 CE), as amended by the Act on Ancient Monuments, Antiquities, Art Objects, and National Museums (No. 2) 1992 CE, the Director-General of the Fine Arts Department announced on 5 May 2009 CE, designating the land area of the ancient monument site of the Elephant Kraal, the Phaniat Palace, and the old kiln in Suan Phrik Subdistrict. The area is approximately 62 rai, 2 ngan, and 8 square wa, as detailed in the plan below. (Source: Fine Arts Department)





Tamnak Phaniat


Tamnak Phaniat is located off Ayutthaya's city island, in the northern area, in the Suan Phrik Sub-district at the Phaniat locality. The royal pavilion lies north of Khlong Daeng and south of the Elephant Kraal. In the immediate vicinity stand two old rural Thai houses and the War Elephant Monument.


Tamnak Phaniat is a two-storey Western-style structure built during the Rattanakosin period (post 1782 CE). The brick building is “L”-shaped (23.80 metres wide by 25.70 metres long) with a front balcony. The balcony, accessible via a series of broad stairs, faces north. The building has a low basement, wooden floors, and a clay-tiled roof.


The present pavilion stands on the site of the old Tamnak, where Prince Thepphonphak (1785-1837 CE) resided after being appointed to lead the restoration of Phaniat during King Rama II's reign (1809-1824 CE) and to supervise the elephant roundups at that time.


The pavilion was rebuilt during the reign of King Rama V (1868-1910 CE) as the residence of Prince Krom Phraya Bamrab Porapak, appointed to restore the Phaniat area. Prince Krom Phraya Bamrab Porapak refers to Somdet Phra Chao Borom Wong Ther Chao Fa Mahamala (1822-1886 CE). He was a senior prince of the Chakri Dynasty, son of King Rama II. He served as director of Krom Phra Khochaban, the Royal Elephant Department, a prestigious office overseeing royal elephants and logistics for elephant warfare. As a youth, Prince Mahamala studied katchakammasat (elephant science) under his uncle, Prince Thepphonphak. In 1876 CE, Somdet Phra Chao Borom Wong considered repairs to the elephant kraal and discovered "Wat Thale Ya" not far from the kraal. Borom Wong found the monastery in a deplorable state and decided to sponsor its restoration. He offered the temple to King Chulalongkorn, who renamed it Wat Borommawong Isarawararam.


The pavilion was abandoned after the last elephant round-up at the beginning of the 20th century, and the structure has since deteriorated. In 1999 CE, the Fine Arts Department was granted 7.65 Mil Baht to restore the structure.





(Tamnak Phaniat - Picture taken September 2010 CE)



The old kiln

Opposite the Khocha Prawet Maha Prasat and beside Khlong Hua Ro (the old Lopburi River) is an old kiln. The vestiges of a single kiln remain discernible, marked by scattered ceramic sherds and roof tile fragments in the immediate vicinity. The ceramics are predominantly utilitarian, executed in the unpainted local tradition rather than decorative styles. A mature Ficus religiosa (Bodhi tree) has established itself on the ruin, its growth entwined with the surviving features. The locus has been demarcated by metal posts and consolidated with a brick foundation, creating a squared perimeter that stabilises and preserves the outline of the kiln site.


I presume it is a Rattanakosin-era kiln associated with the building or rebuilding of the Phaniat Palace and the restoration of the Khocha Prawet Maha Prasat in the early Chakri reigns, as the restoration required large quantities of bricks and roof tiles. The fragments found—roof tiles, coarse ceramics—are consistent with construction materials rather than export ceramics thus, a local utility kiln producing materials for nearby construction, not a commercial site.





(View of the old kiln - Picture taken April 2011 CE)



The Sacred fertility shrine


A sacred fertility shrine stands at the old kiln site. At the staircase, there is a collection of elephant bones, and an explicit collection of phallic carvings symbolising male and female organs. Brahmin theory identifies the spirit residing in the Linga symbol with the God Shiva. [16]

Women seeking pregnancy have long visited fertility shrines for divine help with conception. Salvatore Besso (1884-1912 CE), an Italian writer and journalist, on his visit to the kraal in 1911 CE, wrote:

"From the governor's palace, we visited the enclosure where the elephants breed very lonely and picturesque, but, alas without elephants. Close by is a small temple of Fecondity, somewhat suggestive. Here, the women come to pray to Buddah for children." [17]

On 5 May 2009 CE, the kiln and the shrine were incorporated into the land area designated as an ancient monument by the Fine Arts Department.





(View of the fertility shrine - Picture taken April 2011 CE)



References:

[1] Doungsakun, Supamas (2005). Palaeo-environmental study at Khok Chang Din Ruins, U-Thong District. Mahidol University.
[2] Information board at the Phaniat City Gate (2025).
[3] Cushman, Richard D. & Wyatt, David K. (2006). The Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya. Bangkok: The Siam Society. p 24.
[4] Ratchathanin, Phraya Boran (1907). Tamnan Krung Kao. Aksorn Printing House. p. 34.
[5] Ratchathanin, Phraya Boran (1907). Aksorn Printing House. Explanation of the Ayutthaya map. p. 160.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Baker, Chris Pombejra, Dhiravat na Van Der Kraan Alfons & Wyatt, David K. (2005). Van Vliet's Siam. Silkworm Books. p. 228.
[8] Valentyn, François (1626). Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën. Deel 3. Boek 6. Beschryvinge van Siam en onsen Handel aldaar.
[9] Kaempfer, Engelbert (1727). The History of Japan (Together with a Description of the Kingdom of Siam). John Gaspar Scheuchzer. London. Hans Sloane, Praes. Soc. Reg.
[10] Loubère, Simon (de la) (1691). Description du Royaume de Siam (2 tomes). Jean-Baptiste Coignard. Paris.
[11] Bowring, John (1857). The Kingdom and People of Siam Vol I. London, John W. Parker and Son, West Strand. pp. 19-20.
[12] Bacon, George B. (1893). Siam, the land of the white elephant. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.
[13] Thompson, Peter Anthony (1910). Siam an account of the country and the people. J. B. Millet, The Plimpton Press, Norwood, Mass., USA.
[14] Ibid.
[15] Young, Ernest (1908). Peeps at many lands: Siam. London. Adam and Charles Black. pp. 72-4.
[16] Bendix, Reinhard. Max Weber (1977): An Intellectual Portrait. University of California Press. p. 186.
[17] Besso, Salvatore (1914). Siam and China Translated from the Italian by C. Mathews. London: Simpkin, Marschall, Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd. p. 51.



Selected PICTURES



Pictures taken September 2002 CE



Pictures taken July 2008 CE



When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.
(Alexis de Tocqueville)





HISTORY OF AYUTTHAYA



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