Founded around 1350, Ayutthaya became the second capital of Siam after Sukhothai. Throughout the centuries, the ideal location between China, India and the Malay Archipelago made Ayutthaya the trading capital of Asia and even the world. By 1700 Ayutthaya had become the largest city in the world with a total of 1 million inhabitants. Today, only a few remains might give a glimpse of the impressive city they must have seen. Most of the remains are temples and palaces, as those were the only buildings made of stone at that time. Ayutthaya's ruins were officially recognized in 1991, when the Historic City became an UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of Ayutthaya's most impressive temples, the Khmer style Wat Chaiwatthanaram is a temple that was used by the King and the Royal family. The monastery is located opposite the South West corner of the historical park on the other side of the Chao Phraya river. A boat trip around the historical island provides for very nice views and the location is also considered to be one of the best to witness the sunset in Ayutthaya. If you come for sunset, you cannot enter the temple, but you can walk around to find plenty of vantage points, especially from the river side.