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Published on October 19, 2007

Culture Minister Khunying Khaisri Sriaroon has warned that Unesco might remove the historic city of Ayutthaya and associated historic towns from the World Heritage List following threats of encroachment from rapid development.

The plundering of Ayutthaya by the Burmese in 1767 cannot be easily removed from Thai consciousness. It still haunts us today.

Built in 1350, old Ayutthaya was one of the most beautiful cities on earth, with hundreds of temples and a great culture. When the Burmese invaded the city, it was burnt to the ground.  

Here is an account of what happened on the day Ayutthaya fell:

"On April 28, 1767 the town was captured by assault. The treasures of the palace and the temples were nothing but heaps of ruins and ashes. The images of the gods were melted down and hidden, depriving the barbarian conquerors of the spoils that had aroused their greed.

"To avenge this loss, the Burmese visited their heavy displeasure upon the town folk. They burnt the soles of their feet in order to make them reveal where they had concealed their wealth, and raped their weeping daughters before their very eyes.

"The priests suspected of having concealed much wealth were pierced through and through with arrows and spears and several were beaten to death with heavy clubs.

"The countryside as well as the temples were strewn with corpses and the river was choked with the bodies of the dead, the stench of which attracted swarms of flies, causing much annoyance to the retreating army. The chief officers of state and the royal favourites were in the galleys. The king, witness of the unhappy fate of his court, endeavoured to escape, but he was recognised and slain at the gates of the palace."

This account is taken from Sunait Chutintaranond and Thantun's "On Both Sides of the Tennaserim Range: History of Siamese Burmese Relations". (Asian Studies Monographs No 050, 1995.)

Whenever I visit Ayutthaya, I fall in love with the old capital even more. I like to have a meal at Krung Kao restaurant, which overlooks the river, and then set off on a long-tail boat around the city. It is a rewarding and enchanting experience.

In my mind, I always try to imagine what that terrible day in Ayutthaya would have been like, and realise that if the Siamese had been less complacent they would have been able to save Ayutthaya from total ruin. It is always the big "if".

But along the way, save for the historical sites and temples, Ayutthaya is an ugly city. It has not benefited from any urban planning. The houses built on the banks of the rivers are badly designed. People have dumped their garbage into the waters. Several buildings do not follow the city code.

Khaisri has received an initial report from the Fine Arts Department indicating that the site, which was included on Unesco's World Heritage List in December 1991, has suffered from the lack of city planning. But this is virtually beyond the control of the Fine Arts Department.

"If the site is not taken care of or kept in good condition, and if this leads to its exclusion from the Heritage list, it would be unfortunate and embarrassing," she said.

It would be a disgrace if Ayutthaya is not saved and protected. We do not have any sensitivity towards our cultural heritage. In fact, Ayutthaya should long ago have been subject to strict zoning, so that it could remain forever a World Heritage site.

I have also been to Nara, the first capital of Japan. The Japanese look after Nara pretty well, although Nara's grandeur is not to be compared with Ayutthaya.

Ayutthaya and its associated towns cover an area of 6,000 rai. The site's inner area covers 1,800 rai. Yet many important historical places such as Wat Phra Sri Sanpetch and Wat Ratcha Burana are now overshadowed by ugly modern buildings.

If Ayutthaya were to be properly managed with greenery and zoning, it would be able to maintain its past grandeur so that all Thais can appreciate our heritage. Visitors from all over the world would love to come and see the handicrafts, the arts, the traditional dance and musical performances, the local products.

We can't move forward if we don't know and protect our roots. 

 Thanong Khanthong

The Nation