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In 1604, at the end of the reign of King Naraesuan the Great, the Dutch, commonly known in Thai as the Hollanda or the Vilanda, made contact and carried out business transactions with Ayutthaya in the name of the Dutch East Indian Company. In 1634, King Prasatthong rewarded the Company for its assistance in providing ships for Ayuthaya for military purposes by allocating a piece of land along the river bank where the Dutch could set up a trading station.
A letter from Jost Schauten, Head of
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The Japanese Village is located in the South of the City Isle, which is the location of foreign communities that came to trade with Ayutthaya—be they the Portuguese Village, the Dutch Village or the English Village. These foreigners were granted land by Thai monarchs to build their communities in the same area. The Japanese arrived in Ayutthaya in the reign of King Maha Chakrabadi and trade between Ayutthaya and Japan expanded in the reign of king Nareasuan the Great. The kings on both sides
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The Portuguese were the first Westerners to trade with Ayutthaya in the reign of King Ramathibodi II. They brought with them modern technology and guns and this made them popular in Ayutthaya. Some volunteered to serve in the army to fight in wars. Their contribution persuaded the King to allocate them a piece of land on the Chao Phraya River to build their homes, to establish a church for the dissemination of Christianity and to serve as the centre of their community. Part of the constructio
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Wat Na Phra Men
Wat Na Phra Men is located on the bank of Khlong Sra Bua opposite the ancient Grand Palace.
From U-Thong Road, cross the bridge over the city moat towards Ban Khlong Sra Bua, the temple is on the left-hand side.
Open daily 8.30 – 17.30 hrs.
Admission Fee: 20 Baht
A majestic giant Buddha image, replete with royal adornments, rises up before you upon entering the nine-room-sized Ubosot of Wat Na Phra Men. This particular Buddha image is known as “Phra Phuttha Nimit Wichi
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The temple was constructed in 1630 by the king Prasat Thong as the first temple of his reign, as a memorial of his mother's residence in that area. The temple's name literally means the Temple of long reign and glorious era. It was designed in Khmer style which was popular in that time.
It has a central 35 meter high prang in Khmer style (Thai: พระปรางด์ประธาน) with four smaller prangs. The whole construction stands on a rectangular platform. About halfway up there are hidden entran
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The lifestyle of Ayutthaya originally centred on water and large fields. Growing rice was one of the main professions of villagers; as such, homes of the time were commonly found along the rivers and canals. They were often built facing the water with rice fields in the back, and elevated from the ground to deal with the seasonal flooding. Deposits would collect during the water season, rendering the soil fertile and ideal for growing rice. Other villagers plied their trade as fishermen on t
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History
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