Ayutthaya: Once a flourishing temple city

"Ayutthaya was strategically located on an island surrounded by three rivers connecting the city to the sea," the Unesco website reads."This site was chosen because it was located above the tidal bore of the Gulf of Siam as it existed at that time, thus preventing attack of the city by the sea-going warships of other nations. The location also helped to protect the city from seasonal flooding."