In a later and more finite invasion, in 1767 CE, the Burmese set up a bamboo slat bridge at Hua Ro beside the Maha Chai Fort. The Burmese soldiers screened the bridge with fences for protection, crossed the bridge to the opposite river banks and constructed a fortification near Sala Din (Pavilion of Earth, likely a pavilion built on the bank's slope). Then they dug a tunnel until they reached the base of the city wall, brought in firewood, and piled it at the foundations of the walls, whereafter the combustibles were set on fire. As a result, the walls beside the Maha Chai Fort were significantly weakened and eventually collapsed. On 7 April 1767 CE, the Burmese could breach the walls beside the Maha Chai Fort and ransacked the city, marking the end of the Siamese capital.
"Reaching 1129 of the Royal Era, a year of the boar, ninth of the decade, and arriving at a Tuesday, the ninth day of the waxing moon in the fifth month, the ninth day and middle day of the New Years Festival, the Burmese lighted fires to burn the combustible firewood under the foundations of the walls opposite the Head of the Sluice beside the Fort of Grand Victory, and the Burmese in the stockades of the Monastery of the Crying Crow and of the Monastery of the Jubilant Lady, as well as in each and every other stockade, lit [the fuses of] their great guns—the guns in the forts and in the bastions—and simultaneously fired them on into the Capital in volleys from a little past three mong in the afternoon until dusk. As soon as the walls where they had lit the combustible firewood to consume the foundations had collapsed somewhat, around the second thum, they there-upon had [the fuse of] the signal gun lit. The Burmese troops of each brigade on each side who had been prepared, having accordingly taken their ladders and simultaneously leaned them against the places where the walls had collapsed and against other places all around the Holy Metropolis, climbed them and were able to enter the Capital at that time. Now they lit fires in every vicinity and burned down buildings, houses, hermitages and the Holy Royal Palace Enclosure, including the palaces and royal domicile. The light of the conflagration was as bright as the middle of the day. Then they toured around to chase and capture people, and to search out and confiscate all their various sorts of valuables, [whether] silver, gold, or [other] belongings." [4]
Based on the old maps, the Maha Chai Fort was a single bastion, a structure projecting outward from the city defence wall, angular in shape. The bulwark contained eight guns at the apertures.
After the fall of Ayutthaya, most parts of the wall and the forts were dismantled in the reign of King Rama I (1782-1809) CE, who had the bricks taken to be used in the construction of the city walls for the new capital in Bangkok. [5]
In 2008 CE, during the first phase of the construction of a Tesco-Lotus Express retail outlet at Hua Ro, the remains of an ancient fortified wall were excavated. The wall was part of the city wall and not of the Maha Chai Fort, but the construction of the Tesco-Lotus Express branch was suspended and later definitely cancelled. The area was excavated and, in situ, are now the restored remnants of a part of the city wall, unfortunately, tucked away in the area. [6]