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Published on October 6, 2007

The vast and elaborate sets in which ML Chatrichalerm Yukol recreated the old kingdoms of Ayutthaya and Burmese Hanthawaddy for his acclaimed film series on King Naresuan are now delighting tourists in Kanchanaburi.

There are 700 acres of palaces, temples, moats, stables and even brothels to visit ahead of the release of the final episode in "The Legend of King Naresuan" in December.

The reconstructed Hanthawaddy and Ayutthaya - Yodia, as the Burmese called it - are separated only by a slim river, so you can easily slip into the ancient drama of empires in conflict and imagine you're in the presence of Boonthing, Maneechan or even the great king himself.

"We're now approaching Yodia village," says our guide, who in the films portrays a concubine of Burma's King Bayinnaung.

"This is the setting for the very first scene in the movie, where young Prince Naresuan meets the orphan Boonthing in the market."

Thus begins the tale of the royal youngster plucked from Ayutthaya when it was first sacked by the Burmese in 1569. He was taken to Hanthawaddy and held captive to ensure the loyalty of his father, King Maha Thammaracha.

The opening episode of the film series, released last January, portrays Naresuan's youth under Bayinnaung's protection. He befriends Boonthing and meets Phra Mahathein, his mentor, and Maneechan, his future sweetheart.

From the hamlet, we're led on to a golden pagoda, passing the forgotten Buddha image where the cunning Maneechan weeps as she's about to leave the prince to become a lady of the court.

We're soon padding gingerly between the Siamese and Burmese kingdoms - having discovered to our astonishment that 80 per cent of the film set is made of foam. "Oops!" people exclaim from time to time as they sit to rest on a "stone" wall, only to have it collapse beneath them.

Across a canal is the Buddhist temple of Mahathein, the respected monk who teaches Prince Naresuan lessons in both war and kingship. Here in the small monk's chamber is a set beautifully furnished with neilloware, writing slates and earthen vases - as seen in the movie.

"For the sake of authenticity we sent the artisans to Burma to replicate every single detail," says the guide. "Look at the post bearing a carving of a swan, the symbol of Mon people, and you'll see that its beak points in the direction of Hanthawaddy."

Ringed by a large moat and a high wall, the set representing Hanthawaddy is just a short walk from the monk's quarters. For a small fee, visitors can ride horses or even elephants to the Lion Throne of King Bayinnaung.

Guarding either side of the pathway are sculpted lions, every bit as huge as they seem in the movie. What you don't see in the film, though, are the kiosks selling souvenirs and soft drinks.

The golden throne hall appears often in the first two segments of the film series, as when Prince Naresuan sneaks out to watch the cockfighting. It's spectacular with its gilded patterns against a red background.

Traditional costumes are available for rent, and it's fun to see some of the female visitors - of all ages and sizes - slipping them on and posing as if they were the charming courtesan Maneechan.

A little further along is Ayutthaya's Sanphet Prasat Palace, which also boasts a fantastic throne hall of whitewashed exterior walls and a highly detailed golden facade. Look up, though, and try not to giggle when you see the throne covered (barely) by a plain zinc roof.

"Most of the scenes were shot inside," says the guide, "so it didn't matter if the roof looked a bit out of place!"

The throne itself is adorned with traditional Thai motifs. They're carved in foam, but that just makes it all the more amazing that such intricate detail was possible.

Nearby is a large building where the film props are stored - and where the producers' biggest trick of all is revealed. Those spectacular shots of the ancient cities - sprawling clusters of palaces and temples - all used pint-sized models.

It's a fair walk from Sanphet Prasat Palace to the storage facility, but you can ride a horse or elephant instead, passing through a canal-rimmed string of peasants' hamlets that evoke old Siam.

"You might notice that a lot of the buildings in the villages are only half done, with nothing on the far side but structural supports," notes the guide. "We could have built complete homes and temples, but this way it's much easier for the crew to move the buildings around."

So, every expectation is confirmed: Only half of what you see in a movie is real. But then, the things you see in a movie will rarely play out well in the real world.

Phoowadon Duangmee

The Nation