Ayutthaya, which is just a one-hour drive north of Bangkok, was the capital of Siam and used to be a thriving city, until a Burmese invasion in the second half of the 18th century destroyed most of it and of the cultural riches it contained. What is left today of the many old temples are mostly ruins, some of them partly restored. Sometimes there are also descriptions and drawings of what the initial structure looked like. The ruins themselves, however, already tell a lot of stories and are impressive through their age, simplicity and the proof they are of how easily beautiful things can be destroyed. They provide a stark contrast to the golden, opulent and highly decorated temples in Bangkok.