The Thai kingdom dates back to 1238, with the founding of its first capital, Sukhothai, which means “Dawn of Happiness”. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you can see why it got its name as you meander through the restored and ruined palaces, temples, moats, ponds, canals and dyke system. Ayutthaya, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was the next Thai capital and ruled between the 14th to 18th centuries, until it was ransacked and burned by invading Burmese. Set on an island, during its heyday, it had a population of around a million, making it one of the worlds’ largest. This time has also been referred to as a Thai Renaissance and the impressive ruins do afford an amazing glimpse into this glorious reign.