The present Ayutthaya district, counted more than 400 temples. Many are gone now. Plundered and burned, reduced until their basic foundations by

brick theft and finally their last remains overbuilt. On the city island there are hardly any brick mounds or not restored ruins left, but they are still

abundant in the areas around the city.



A first small scale restoration in the northeast corner of the old city occurred in the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV) in the period between 1854

and 1868. King Mongkut (r. 1851 - 1868) ordered the reconstruction of the

Chan Boworn Palace

with the purpose to make it his residence when

visiting Ayutthaya. He also commanded the repair of

Wat Senat

and

Wat Khamin

, two temples in the immediate vicinity of the Front Palace.



Some sources speak about a second restoration in the period 1868 - 1910, but in fact more damage was done. In 1895, the Governor of Ayutthaya

had the

city walls of Ayutthaya

pulled down and constructed on their foundations, the present U-Thong Road, a ring road around the city.



The same year, King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) decided to re-use the Front Palace (in disuse after the death of Rama IV) and gave order to turn it

into a Governmental office. The next governor of Ayutthaya, Phraya Boran Rachathanin, was a historian and started to keep an antique collection at

the Front Palace. In 1904, King Rama V ordered the antiques to be exhibited at the Chaturamuk pavilion and as such the “

Ayutthaya Museum

” was

officially born. In 1908, King Rama V declared the entire Ayutthaya City Island a protected zone. Private occupancy became prohibited. Too bad it

was not for long.



It will take until 1935, that the Fine Arts Department (here after abbreviated FAD) registered the Historic City of Ayutthaya covering an area of 2.8

Sq. Km. as an ancient monument. It took another 20 years and some serious plundering before the FAD started in 1956 excavation and repair

works on the most important monuments. The area was classified as a Historical Park in 1967.

