AYUTHIA (Siamese KRUNG-KAO), for more than four cen turies the capital of Siam, is on the northern main line of the State railways, 42m. from Bangkok. It was destroyed by the Burmese in 1555 and again in 1765, after which it ceased to be the capital. Historically it is the most interesting spot in Siam; the island site of the city has ruins of innumerable palaces, pagodas, churches and fortifications, while there is a rich local archaeological museum.
The bulk of the present population (about 12,000) lives in float ing houses along the edges of a network of river creeks and chan nels. The only trade consists in the exchange of great quantities of paddy (through Bangkok) for cloth and other goods needed by the peasants.
Ayuthia is the chief town of one of the richest agricultural pro vincial divisions of Siam, the seat of a high commissioner, and the headquarters of a division of the army. The Government offices occupy spacious buildings once a royal retreat ; the Government is that of an ordinary provincial division (Morton). Outside the town is an ancient masonry enclosure, periodically used for the capture of elephants.