We visited some of Thailand’s most important religious monuments. We quickly learned about different kingdoms in the history of the region, as well as the ebb and flow of the influence of exterior powers.
A bit of background.
Thailand is a constitutional monarchy. The current governmental structure is the heritage of centuries of dynastic rule.
The current dynasty in Thailand is the Chakri, which has held power since 1782. Today, the king of Thailand is Maha Vajiralongkorn, also known as Rama X. The king serves as Head of State and Constitutional Monarch, Commander-in-chief, religious figurehead, and symbolic leader. While he is a figurehead, he has power and influence over legislation, and he controls the vast wealth of the monarchy.
Before the Chakri dynasty, the Ayutthaya Kingdom ruled for 500 years. Before that, the Sukhotai Kingdom was in power for another 200 years.
We visited sites from the Ayutthaya and Sukhotai periods.
For those who want a little more detail, here are some further notes. First, about Thailand’s history of the rise and fall of dynasties and empires:
Sukhothai Kingdom (1238–1438): Established by Sri Indraditya, it is considered the cradle of Thai civilization. King Ramkhamhaeng introduced the Thai alphabet and expanded the kingdom, but it declined after his death and was absorbed by Ayutthaya.
Ayutthaya Kingdom (1350–1767): A powerful state that unified Thailand and expanded into neighboring regions. It was known for its cultural achievements and Theravada Buddhism but fell to Burmese forces in 1767.
Lan Na Kingdom (13th–16th centuries): Centered in Chiang Mai, it coexisted with Sukhothai but eventually became a vassal of Ayutthaya and later Burma.
Thonburi Period (1767–1782): After Ayutthaya’s fall, King Taksin briefly reunified Thailand before being succeeded by the Chakri dynasty.
Chakri Dynasty (1782–present): Founded by King Rama I, who established Bangkok as the capital. This dynasty modernized Thailand and maintained its independence during colonial times.
Second, about outside forces. We often heard reference to Burmese and Khmer influences:
Thailand, historically known as Siam, has a unique history of avoiding full colonization by foreign empires, but it was influenced and briefly dominated by various powers:
Indianized Kingdoms and Khmer Empire: Early Thai states were influenced or ruled by Indianized kingdoms like the Mon and Khmer empires.
Burmese Domination: Burma’s Taungoo Dynasty subjugated Ayutthaya from 1569 to 1584. Later, Lan Na (Northern Thailand) was under Burmese control until the late 18th century.
Japanese Occupation (1941–1945): During World War II, Japan occupied Thailand, using it as a strategic base.
Western Influence: While never colonized, Thailand signed unequal treaties with Western powers like Britain and France, maintaining independence as a buffer state.
In previous posts, we’ve shared images and stories from Bangkok, the capital founded by the current, Chakri dynasty, and especially the impressive Grand Palace complex.
Now let’s go back in time, first to the Ayutthaya Kingdom.
Wat Mahathat, or the “Temple of the Great Relic,” holds immense historical and religious significance in Thailand. It was a key religious center during the Ayutthaya Kingdom, housing sacred Buddha relics and serving as the seat of the Supreme Patriarch of Thai Buddhism. Kings hosted royal ceremonies here in what was seen as the kingdom’s spiritual heart.
Something that struck us about these ruins is just how ruined they are, and that they’re built of brick and not more durable stone.
A year before our visit to Thailand, we had visited Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Those temples have fallen into disrepair over the centuries, but since they were constructed of stone, they have retained more of their original forms. Reconstruction has been successful since the stone parts exist still, even if they’ve tumbled to the ground.
Why are these very important remnants of Thailand’s history in this much more degraded state?
First of all, the events of history are tough. The Burmese sacked the city of Ayutthaya twice, most completely in 1767. After the fall of Ayutthaya and the creation of the new capital of Bangkok, the city of Ayutthaya lost its centrality and even use. Many of its salvageable building materials were used to build the new monuments of Bangkok. During centuries of disregard, looters beheaded buddha statues in search of gold and jewels that often were contained there. And there were natural disasters, most notably floods.
The builders of Ayutthaya chose brick rather than stone for pragmatic reasons. Unlike the Khmer builders in what is today Cambodia, the Ayutthaya builders did not have access to stone sources. But they did have clay, and the artisans to work with it. Brick was the most economical as well as most flexible structural material.
Elaborate stucco decorations covered the brick structures. As long as the stucco exteriors were cared for, they served perfectly for religious and political purposes.
However, in this wet tropical environment, once maintenance stopped, the stucco, and even the brick, deteriorated. Today, the stucco has almost completely disappeared.
It was only in the early 20th century that interest in preserving these historical places emerged. A key figure to whom we are grateful is the governor of Ayutthaya province at the time: Phraya Boran Ratchathanin. He recognized the deep cultural value of these ruins and this land. In response to the threat of private development in the area, he embarked on projects of protection and conservation. The fuel for his and others’ efforts was their own national pride and recognition of Ayutthaya’s cultural significance, and not outside international pressures. Much later, UNESCO and other outside resources augmented what was a fully Thai commitment to conservation.
An impressive reclining Buddha, with its devotees. (We’ll delve into the world of buddha statues in the next post.)
Time passes:
Let’s travel further back in time, before the Ayutthaya Kingdom to the Sukhothai Kingdom (1238–1438).
Since 1976, a wonderful collection of structures and ruins from the Sukhothai Kingdom period have been protected within a Historical Park. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And a lovely park through which to bicycle and discover iconic temples.
Sukhothai Wat Mahathat: Here’s an example of the visibility of struggles between Thai and exterior forces. The underlying form of the temple is Khmer, like Angkor Wat. But atop, Thai-style stupas rise toward heaven. We see the expression of the Thai kingdom vanquishing Khmer invaders.
We also see expression of the succession from Sukhothai power to Ayutthaya power at Wat Si Chum. This impressive seated Buddha, Phra Achana, was created during the Sukhothai period. When the Ayutthaya Kingdom supplanted the Sukhothai, they built an enclosure in their own style around the sculpture. They were containing the superseded authority while also protecting the buddha.
We liked Wat Sorasak because of its ring of protective elephants. We learned that this inclusion of elephant sculptures is thanks to influence from Sri Lanka.
Speaking of elephants: We were fortunate that on the evening of our visit to Sukhothai, the town was celebrating a festival. Celebrations means night markets, full of stands selling food, temple items, clothing, and just about everything else.
Around the corner from the avenues of vendor stalls, we found these three elephants:
These were the first live elephants that we saw on our visit. Very impressive. But also a reminder that many elephants in Southeast Asia live lives circumscribed by human demands, not all of which are healthy for the elephants. Later in our visit, we had the good fortune to visit a preserve for rescued elephants. We’ll share that experience in an upcoming post.
January 2025