The historical Ayutthaya Park is one of the biggest attractions of Thailand. The park is famous for its ruins, temples, and monkeys who have been there for hundreds of years now. The Ayutthaya Park serves as a place to celebrate the rich historic heritage of Thailand going back to the Siam Kingdom. Ayutthaya was the capital of this kingdom for more than 400 years. Moreover, Ayutthaya was not a remote place far from any foreign eyes or anything. Historians state that in 1700, the city of Ayutthaya was one of the largest cities in the world with a population of 1,000,000 people.
The monkeys have been an integral part of the Ayutthaya Park. Many visitors, local or foreign, come to the park especially to spend time with the monkeys, take photos, and feed them which the park encourages. However, during the times when the visitor number decreases, the monkey population becomes malnourished and even angry, attacking people.
The city of Ayutthaya saw 33 kings and it is possible to see their contributions in the park. Since Ayutthaya was destroyed by the Burmese in the early 18th century, some of the sites in Ayutthaya Park are in ruins. Still, however, they exude a cultural and historical aura that none can deny. Arguably, the most important structure in the park is the Wat Phra Si Sanphet, a royal temple built in the 14th century. The temple was the crown jewel of the royal city and was personally seen to by the first king of Ayutthaya Kingdom. The temple has three stupas each commemorating a king before the next ruling one.
Apparently, according to some sources, the temple once had a giant Buddha statue. The statue was 16 meters tall, and 8 meters wide, it was completely gold and weighed 64 tons. However, during the Burmese invasion, the Burmese forces melted the statue and got the gold.
