Ayutthaya, the former second capital of Siam (as Thailand was called until 1932) is nowadays a modern city where you find the remains of the ancient Ayutthaya Kingdom with many temples and Buddha images. Photo above was taken at the Wat Chai Watthanaram and it is the place where once was a beautiful Buddha image. A victim of stealing Buddha's or victim of the myth that there would be gold hidden in the Buddha? After the destruction of Ayutthaya by the Burmese in 1767, during which also Wat Chai Watthanaram was plundered, the temple was deserted. Theft, sale of bricks from the ruins and the beheading of the Buddha statues were common. It was not before 1987 that the Thai Department of Fine Arts started to preserve what was left. (Thanks John).
This travelogue follows my traveling in Thailand (and beyond) with in between information that might help you when traveling in Thailand. If you are interested to visit Ayutthaya or any other place in Thailand and need some information then feel free to contact me by email at The Little Elephant Traveling in Thailand.