Ayutthaya, city in southern Thailand, on the Chao Phraya River, near Bangkok. Ayutthaya is an important center of trade and is in a rich rice-producing region. The city served as the capital of Siam (now Thailand) from about 1351 until 1767, when it was sacked by the Burmans and the capital was moved to Bangkok. Several magnificent Buddhist pagodas, built before the Burman invasion, are still standing, as is a 16th-century palace, built on a nearby island as a summer residence for the king. Population (1992 estimate) 57,341.
