Baan Hollanda บ้านฮอลันดา is a former Dutch trading village in Thailand, founded in 1643 during the Ayutthaya era. Located along the Chao Phraya river near the Ayutthaya Historical Park, to the south of the city island. It was established by the Dutch East India Company (VOC).
The term "Wilanda" was used by the Siamese in the past to mean those from the Netherlands, or the Dutch. It was derived from the Malay "Orang Belanda". It was used to denote the Dutch in Java and elsewhere in the East Indies. "Belanda" itself was possibly derived from the Portuguese "Hollanda" (Holland).
The Dutch first established formal trade relations with Siam in 1604, towards the end of King Naresuan’s reign. In 1608, King Ekathotsarot granted permission to the Dutch East India Company (VOC) to open its trading post in Ayutthaya.
The location was in the southern part of the walled island city and was a rather constricted space. In 1634, during the reign of King Prasat Thong, a new VOC ...
Wat Chaiwatthanaram วัดไชยวัฒนาราม is a Buddhist temple in the city of Ayutthaya Historical Park, Thailand, on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, outside Ayutthaya island.
It is one of Ayutthaya's best known temples and a major tourist attraction.
The temple was constructed in 1630 by the king, Prasat Thong, as the first temple of his reign, as a memorial of his mother's residence in that area.
The temple's name literally means the Temple of long reign and glorious era. It was designed in the Khmer style to gain Buddhist merit and as a memorial to his mother, however Prince Damrong believed it was built to celebrate Ayutthaya Kingdom's victory over Longvek (the capital of modern day Cambodia at the time).
It has a central 35 meter high (115 ft) prang พระปรางด์ประธาน with four smaller prangs. The whole construction stands on a rectangular platform. About halfway up there are hidden entrances, to which steep stairs lead.
The eight ...
Wat Mangkon Kamalawat วัดมังกรกมลาวาส, previously (and still commonly) known as Wat Leng Noei Yi วัดเล่งเน่ยยี่ 龙莲寺 is the largest and most important Chinese Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand.
Wat Mangkon Kamalawat was founded as a Mahayana Buddhist temple in 1871 or 1872, by Phra Archan Chin Wang Samathiwat (also known as Sok Heng), initially with the name Wat Leng Noei Yi. It was later given its current name, Wat Mangkon Kamalawat, meaning "Dragon Lotus Temple", by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V).
It is located in the district of Pom Prap Sattru Phai in the city's Chinatown, in a courtyard off Charoen Krung Road. It is served by Wat Mangkon MRT station which is located in front of the temple.
The temple is built in a classic Chinese architectural style, with typical sweeping tiled roofs decorated with animal and floral motifs, including the ubiquitous Chinese dragons. The ubosot (ordination hall) houses the temple's main, gold ...
Wat Phra Si Sanphet วัดพระศรีสรรเพชญ์ "Temple of the Holy, Splendid Omniscient" was the holiest temple on the site of the old Royal Palace in Thailand's ancient capital of Ayutthaya until the city was completely destroyed by the Burmese in 1767.
It was the grandest and most beautiful temple in the capital and it served as a model for Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok.
In 1350 U-thong, also known as King Ramathibodi I, ordered the construction of a royal palace in the same area that Wat Pra Si Sanphet stands today. The palace was completed in 1351 and King Ramathibodi established Ayutthaya as the capital of his Kingdom. The palace contained three wooden buildings named "Phaithun Maha Prasat", "Phaichayon Maha Prasat", and "Aisawan Maha Prasat". Upon finalization of the palace in 1351, he established Ayutthaya as his capital and was bestowed the title of King Ramathibodi I.
In 1448 King Borommatrailokkanat built a new palace to the north and converted the old palace ...
