Ayutthaya

It was the capital of the kingdom of Siam and a prosperous port of international trade between 1350 and 1767, with great commercial activity. Teak wood, sandalwood, sugar, hides, ivory, furs, silks, and local craft products were traded, as well as items arriving from Japan and China. In 1767 it was razed to the ground by the Burmese army in the Burmese-Siamese War. The ruins of the old city are now part of the Ayutthaya Historical Park, an archaeological complex with palaces, Buddhist temples, monasteries and statues that was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1991. The new city was founded just a few kilometers east of that, about 80 kilometers north of Bangkok.