AYUTTHAYA HISTORICAL RESEARCH



THE DUTCH SETTLEMENT





In 1601 CE, Jacob Corneliszoon van Neck arrived with the ships “Amsterdam” and “Gouda” as the first Dutchman in Patani to buy pepper and other merchandise.


In December 1602 CE, two more ships from the Old East India Company arrived. In the same year, two “comptoirs” were established, one from Amsterdam and another from Zeeland. In Songkhla (then known as Singora), a “comptoir” was established in 1607 CE. [1]


The key trading posts of Patani and Singora, located in the south of Siam on the east coast, were abandoned around 1623 CE when Governor-General Jan Pieterszoon Coen aimed to concentrate all trade at Batavia.


The first two Dutch traders, Cornelius Specx and Lambert Jacobsz Heijn, arrived in the capital of Ayutthaya in 1604 CE, hoping to secure passage to China on a Siamese ship. The mission, however, was delayed, but the two were able to meet King Naresuan (reign 1590-1605 CE). Apparently, the Dutch saw some trade opportunity in Siam as Chinese goods such as porcelain and silk were readily available. [2]


In 1607 CE, King Ekathotsarot of Ayutthaya (reign 1605-1610/11 CE) sent an embassy to the Dutch Stadtholder, Prince Maurice of Orange (reign 1618-1625 CE). The Siamese arrived in The Hague on 10 September 1608 CE. The same year, the king permitted the Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC - United East Indian Company) to establish its first trading post within Ayutthaya's city walls. under Lambert Jacobz. Heijn. The small trading post was subordinate to the regional VOC centre in Patani until the latter was abandoned 15 years later. [3]





(Maurice, Prince of Orange by School of Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt - Picture in Public Domain)



In 1612 CE, the provisional Dutch factory in Ayutthaya, under Maerten Houtman and Cornelis van Neijenrode, was expanded. In 1613 CE, Hendrik Brouwer (1581-1643 CE), the chief factor of the VOC in Japan, officially opened the Dutch factory while passing through Ayutthaya. After the Siamese mission returned in 1611 CE, during the reign of King Songtham (1610/1611?-1628 CE), a treaty was signed between the Dutch Republic and Ayutthaya in 1617 CE. The merchant Cornelis van Neijenrode was appointed chief factor. [4]


The trading post in the city, under the impetus of Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies Jan Pieterszoon Coen (in office 1618-1623 CE), was temporarily closed in 1622 CE due to its unprofitability, leaving assistant Jan Jansz. van Campen behind. However, trade continued via regular ships.


In 1624 CE, the trading post was reopened under Governor-General Pieter de Carpentier (in office 1623-1627 CE) because Batavia feared the Dutch position in Siam might be lost. It closed again in 1629 CE [5].


On 2 September 1628 CE, two Dutch merchants, Adriaen de Marees and Joost Schouten (William Cunningham, the original Dutch envoy, died en route), had an audience with King Songtham in the Grand Palace at Ayutthaya to present a missive and presents from Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange (reign 1625-1647 CE), the Dutch Stadtholder. [6]


Several Dutch vessels were sent to Siam in 1630 and 1632 CE to support King Prasat Thong (reign 1629-1656 CE) against the Portuguese and Cambodians [7]. Batavia decided in 1633 CE to pursue greater trade investments in Siam as Japan lifted its ban on foreign trade. Siam exported items such as deer hides, ray skins, and sappan wood, which could significantly boost trade with Japan in exchange for silver and copper.





(Arrival of the Dutch ships Groot Mauritius and Zuid-Holland at Ban Chao Phraya at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River in 1628 CE - from map K 478, fol. 56, Karlsruhe State Library)



The Lodge

In 1633 CE, a formal Dutch diplomatic mission reached Ayutthaya, carrying a missive and lavish gifts from Prince Frederick Henry of Orange (reigned as Stadtholder 1625–1647 CE), delivered by the commissioner Jan Joosten de Roy. As recorded in the VOC Day Register kept at Batavia, King Prasat Thong donated a vacant location particularly suitable for unloading, loading, and shipping goods, which is moreover more spacious and extends 300 feet along the river, for the greater convenience of the Dutch trading post. The company's old warehouse lay far from the riverbank. It was not only inconvenient, old, leaky, dilapidated, and ruinous, but also so small that there was nowhere to store and keep goods and merchandise, which must be protected against moisture, decay, and damage. [8]

King Prasat Thong also sought Dutch assistance for a planned attack on Patani after the ruler Raja Ungu refused to pay tribute to the new king, calling him 'a rascal, murderer, and traitor' and denying his legitimacy. In return, the Siamese King promised the Dutch a monopoly on sappan wood and deer hides.

Merchant Joost Schouten was authorised by Batavia not only to request delivery of the donated site but also to seek permission from the Siamese king to construct a large fireproof warehouse in stone and lime, no less than 100 feet long, 30 to 35 feet wide, and two storeys, each 12 feet high. On 14 May 1634, Schouten departed Batavia with the ship Het Wapen van Delft under the command of Commander Bruijn, together with the yachts Bredamme, Koukerken, Huijsduijnen, Wieringen, and Venlo, to assist the King of Siam against Patani. Upon arrival, however, the King of Siam's fleet was not found instead, approximately 50 large Malay galleys and about 5,000 men from Johor and Pahang supporting Patani were found, which had been reinforced and provided with fortifications. Bruijn learned that the Siamese king had entered into peace negotiations with Patani. Due to the drought, the yachts could not get closer, and the Commander decided to set fire to 8 or 9 empty junks that were more easily accessible, using smaller vessels. To ascertain whether the fleet and army of the King of Siam were in Singora, Bruijn sent the yacht Wieringen to Singora. Schouten then departed from there for Siam aboard Het Wapen van Delft, accompanied by two Dutch carpenters, two blacksmiths, and two masons, along with the necessary ironwork and other materials which were not available in Siam, required for the construction of the planned new lodge. [9]





(Map of Patani in the 17th century - Bougas Wayne. Patani in the Beginning of the XVII Century. In: Archipel. Volume 39, 1990. pp. 113-138)



The Siamese army and fleet in Singora informed the King that they had left Patani due to a lack of provisions and the Dutch's failure to provide the promised assistance. The King became so angry that he forbade all Siamese to speak to or trade with the Dutch.


Het Wapen van Delft arrived at the bar in Siam on 13 June 1634 CE. Upon his arrival in Ayutthaya, Schouten explained to the King that the Dutch had dispatched six large vessels to Patani for his assistance, had burned some Patanese junks, and had waited a long time for the arrival of the king's army to besiege the town of Patani, but had learned from some Patanese prisoners that the army had left for Singora. Schouten’s statements proved correct. The King then halved the regular trade duties, which meant significant economic relief and benefits for the VOC and permitted the construction of a new godown. [10]


The “Dagh-register gehouden int Casteel Batavia” records on 9 November 1634 CE that Schouten had secured “een seer bequaeme plaets om een nieuwe logie daer op te mogen bouwen, die al int besit hadden gekregen” — in other words, the Siamese king formally granted the VOC a site for the lodge, and the Company had already taken possession of it.


The Daghregister of 1636 CE noted on 27 April “De nieuwe logie tot verseeckeringh van Compies middelen was geheel con form 't overgeleverde model voltrocken waer van de gedaene oncosten stamen comen te monteren f 10349.1.8.”, which translates as “The new lodge for the security of the Company's assets has been completed in full accordance with the transmitted model. The total costs incurred amount to 10,349 guilders, 1 stuiver and 8 pennies.”


The building was called “de logie” or “the lodge” (locally known as Tuek Daeng, the Red Building). The lodge was quite special because it was constructed from stone, which gave it a “high-status” appearance. In Ayutthaya, only the monasteries and palaces were built of stone. The expenses to build the lodge were very high for that period, estimated at approximately US$ 985,000 in present-day terms. The company’s operations were relocated from the temporary site in Ayutthaya to the new complex south of the city. [11]





(Excavations at the site of the Dutch lodge – Picture taken December 2008 CE)



Schouten, described by Gysbert Heeck as “a man of unusual knowledge and extraordinary intellect, having been elevated through his ability and capacity to Member Ordinarius of the Council of India,” wrote in his travelogue, “A True Description of the Mighty Kingdoms of Japan and Siam,” published in Dutch in 1648 CE, about the lodge as follows:

"...finally our factory established there in the year 1633 and trading during my four years direction, are so much corrected and increased, that the Company hath remarkably gained by them, with probability, with good management of more signal advantages: To which end the General and Councel of India caused in Anno 1634 a stone lodge, with fit pack-houses, pleasant apartements, and a commodious landing place, to be builded on the borders of the River Menam, being one of the conveniencest and best situated of any that is unfortified in all the Indiaes." [12]

Dr Gybert Heecq described the lodge in 1655 CE as:

“Concerning this local office, or, as it is often written, the Netherlands’ comptoir Ayutthaya in the kingdom of Siam, it is located about twenty-eight leagues upriver and not more than a musket shot below the above-mentioned city of Ayutthaya. It sits on the riverbank directly opposite the Portuguese and Japanese quarters, where the river is wide and flows fast. [The office] was founded in the year 1634 by Joost Schouten… In the front is a sturdy and excellent building, rather large and high, with airy lofts and spacious, proper warehouse space below [the dining hall and offices]. Two of its sides are of white brick, with many door frames and window casings, most of them trellised and barred. The walls are built entirely of brick and plastered with good lime. The woodwork - all teak - is smooth and very durable, not much different from oak. On the front side [there is] a double stairway of almost twenty steps leading to the dining hall ([rising] over a corridor that runs through the middle of the building) at the back [of the dining hall] there is a single stairway. There are several rooms on each side of this spacious [dining] hall. The director resides on the right side [of the hall], and the deputy-director on the left. There are also rooms for the junior merchants and principal assistants, each furnished according to their rank and position. There were several other brick rooms at ground level, along the moat (behind the main building) where lived some more assistants as well as the surgeon, the steward, the cook, trumpeter, sculptor, carpenters, two blacksmiths, and some ship’s personnel, including the bookbinder, baker, groom, and the like, each room furnished according to the person’s position. The personnel of the barges, seven in number, all have to live on their boats (in order to guard them).

The lodge is surrounded by a (sufficiently spacious) rectangle of bamboo fencing. Along this fence, in addition to the above-mentioned rooms, are the brick-built buttery kitchen, and prison, as well as a stable for about eight horses (though this is built of bamboo), and on the other side one or two smaller stables, a sheep fold (some sheep are being raised here), pens for he- and she-goats, and coops for chickens, geese, ducks, pigeons, and cranes. Some five or six of the latter were walking about, and we took two of them with us to breed in Batavia. Stabled here were some ten to twelve horses of various colors, on which the gentlemen often go out riding during the dry season they were of reasonable quality though somewhat small. There was also a smithy made of bamboo.

For greater security, a deep moat had been dug around the fence, with a broad exit and a proper gate. Beyond that, all the way to the river was a strong, wide pier with railings and benches on both sides, which was very useful for barges and other vessels to moor alongside to load and unload. From this pier one goes straight through (the above-mentioned corridor) under the main office and then one descends, via a brick gate and wooden bridge, to another wooden warehouse (of the same size as the Amsterdam warehouse), on the far side of the moat on a green field. In this warehouse is usually stored the purchased rice and dried planking. The two gates ([of the corridor] under the lodge) fit very neatly The whole main office and the brick buildings are all covered with Siamese tiles, but the stables and other bamboo houses only with atap.

When you enter from the river side, you see on the lower right hand side of the square a nice brick room, airy because of the many windows that can be opened on all sides. In it stands a “troktafel” for the recreation and pleasure of the young cadets. Next to this room there is a bamboo door in the fence, with a plank over the moat by means of which one comes to the Company garden, a small one with some pomegranate, orange, and lime trees. At the time it looked very unkempt and wild. It contained two pyramids. Under one of these lay buried the director preceding Mr. Westerwoldt, a Mr. Craijers, whose name, dates, and coat of arms could be seen and read on top. Under the other lay some children of Mr. Van Rijck that he had had here with his wife (the sister of Mr. Trompert, secretary of the orphans court in Batavia). Next to this garden was the Dutch cemetery where high and low have been buried together for many years. Here there was another high pyramid, under which [lay] Mr. Moerdijck (a former director). This was the current burial place for persons of lesser status. At one of the left-side corners of the office [square], next to the horse stable, there is another door with a wide bridge [over the moat] leading to the house or living quarters of Chao Sut ……” [13]





(Excavations at the site of the Dutch lodge – Picture taken December 2008 CE)



Next to Gysbert Heeck's description of the Dutch lodge is a brief account by Christopher Fryke. Fryke came from a medical family in Ulm and joined the Dutch VOC. He served as a surgeon on various VOC vessels sailing to and within the East Indies between 1680 and 1685 CE. Fryke made a short visit to Ayutthaya during this period, but the exact date of his stay in the city could not be ascertained. The extract below was published in the Journal of the Siam Society [14] and is based on Casell's 1929 publication (London). [15] The original text was published in 1692 in Ulm, Germany, as "Christoff Frikens Ost-Indianische Räysen und Krieges-Dienste".

"Our Master and the Factor Went straightway in the Long-Boat to the Chief City Odia which is 30 Leagues up the River as soon as they were come back they went to Unlading. I then went on Shore too, and visited the Dutch Factory there. The House which the Dutch Factors have there, is amazing both for its Largeness, Beauty, and Strength. Above are all the Lodgings, which are wonderful Stately both without and within: Under are the Warehouses, which are of a vast bigness and richly stored with all manner of commodities." [16]





(Excavations at the site of the Dutch lodge – Picture taken December 2008 CE)



In 1634 CE, King Prasat Thong deployed more than 50.000 men to the south to suppress the rebellion in the Sultanate of Patani. [17] The Dutch pledged to support with six large vessels in exchange for exclusive rights to export animal skins from Siam. Instead of waiting for the Dutch fleet, the Siamese army attacked Patani but was repulsed with heavy losses. Provisions ran low, and the army retreated to present-day Singora (1). When the Dutch fleet reached Patani, they found the Siamese had already departed. The king appeared satisfied with the Dutch actions and returned five thousand florins to them, half of the duty they had paid that year for the right to trade with Siam.


The VOC factory was situated north of the English trading post (est. 1612–1622 CE) and the Japanese settlement, directly opposite the Portuguese settlement. It was outside the city walls of Ayutthaya, on the east bank of the old Lopburi River, now known as the Chao Phraya River. (2)


The Chao Phraya River could be navigated by ships of 300 to 400 gross register tons, with a depth of approximately 2 fathoms. One mile outside the city, a Siamese customs house was located (3). Until then, ships could come. When leaving Ayutthaya, ship captains needed to report the merchandise they carried, the number of guns, and the number of crew on board. All data was recorded in a passport that had to be shown at the second customs house, further downriver near the walled stronghold of Bangkok. June and July were the best months for ships to arrive in the city. During the rainy season, in August and September, the river current became too strong to sail upriver easily. [18]





(Detail from a Dutch map, "Groote Siamse Rievier Me-Nam Of Te Moeder Der Wateren In haren loop met de vallende Spruyten Verbeeld”, published in François Valentijn’s “Oud en Nieuw Oost Indien” [Amsterdam 1724-1726]. The second Customs House at Bangkok is marked No 7, and the Wichai Prasit Fort No 12)



Ban Chao Phraya


Opposite the Siamese Custom House at Samut Prakan (also called Pak Nam), a warehouse named “Amsterdam” was built in 1636 CE on the west bank of the Chao Phraya, where it meets the Bang Pla Kod Canal (west bank). Because large ships could not sail the nearly 80 km-long distance upriver to Ayutthaya, it was necessary to build this warehouse on stilts, located about 2 miles from the river's mouth. The mutual relationship began to deteriorate towards the end of the Ayutthaya period, and so did the significance of “Amsterdam”.





(Detail from a Dutch map "Groote Siamse Rievier Me-Nam Of Te Moeder Der Wateren In haren loop met de vallende Spruyten Verbeeld” published in the work “Oud en Nieuw Oost Indien” [Amsterdam 1724-1726] of François Valentijn. The warehouse “Amsterdam” is indicated as No 5)



The Picnic Incident


The VOC-chief Jeremias van Vliet had a difficult time when, on 10 December 1636 CE, two VOC Dutchmen got into an altercation with some priests and palace guards upon returning from a picnic on the west side of Ayutthaya. They and their friends were attacked and roughly handled by the Siamese. The following day, they were accused of attacking the palace of the King's brother, and two of their members were sentenced to be trampled to death by elephants. Van Vliet secured their release by giving presents to King Prasat Thong and key officials. The VOC chief was compelled to sign a pledge accepting responsibility for the conduct of the Dutch in the country. [19]





(Copy of a Dutch pledge accepting responsibility for the conduct of the Dutch in Siam, 1636 CE – Corpus Diplomaticum. Neerlando-Indicum. (1907) Verzameling van Politieke contracten en verdere Verdragen door de Nederlanders in het Oosten gesloten, van Privilegebrieven, aan hen verleend, enz., uitgegeven en toegelicht door Mr. J. E. Heeres, Hoogleeraar aan de Ryksuniversiteit te Leiden. Eerste Deel (1596-1650). CXTIII. Siam. pp. 284-5)



In 1649 CE, Siamese troops were deployed, with cannons aimed at the Dutch factory, and all the Dutchmen were detained and confined for a period. The Dutch Company had lodged a claim against the Siamese Government, which King Prasat Thong initially promised to address but later dismissed. Annoyed, Van Vliet used much stronger language than was wise, and the king initially ordered the immediate execution of every Dutchman in Siam. The king was persuaded to grant them a day's grace to leave the country, or they would be trampled to death by elephants, and the factory would be looted. However, the king changed his mind and ultimately released them [20]


In 1662 CE, King Narai (reign 1656-1688 CE) established a royal monopoly on all trade, promoted foreign commerce, and began sending his own trading ships to Japan. Goods meant for export had to be sold to the crown first. Ultimately, the Dutch lost their monopoly on the trade in hides. The relationship between the Dutch East India Company and the king of Siam started to deteriorate early in 1663 CE. [21]


One day, the Dutch discovered, while inspecting the contents of a Portuguese ship, a royal shipment aboard—this in breach of the treaty with Siam. The king’s anger was provoked, and he ordered Ayutthaya to be closed. The VOC in Batavia decided to leave its trading post in Ayutthaya, but initially took action. By September 1663 CE, three VOC ships blocked the Chao Phraya River and attempted to secure the release of company men and merchandise. [22]


King Narai realised he had gone too far in alienating the Dutch and sent an envoy to Batavia to normalise relations. On 21 June 1664 CE, Captain Pieter De Bitter (c.1620-1666 CE) was sent as an envoy to the court of Siam and successfully secured a renewal of the Dutch-Siamese treaty on 22 August, returning to Batavia on 30 November [23]. The Dutch obtained the exclusive monopoly over the trade in hides, and Siam agreed not to employ any Chinese on her ships, making it impossible for Siam to compete with Holland in the China trade. There was also an extra-territorial jurisdiction clause stating that Dutchmen committing a crime in Siam would be punished under Dutch law.


The Dutch action prompted a significant shift in Siam’s trade policy. King Narai, aiming to counter the Dutch's arrogance, began fostering better relations with other European Powers, particularly the French [24]. In 1665 CE, the trading post was reinstated.





(Anonymous. Portrait of a VOC sea captain, possibly Pieter de Bitter. Fries Museum. Picture in Public Domain)



The Dutch Garden


In 1670 CE, King Narai gave the Director of the Dutch Settlement a small plot of land at Wat Prot Sat in Khanon Luang Sub-district (Bang Pa-In) to create a garden and a place for holidays or excursions. On this plot, which was recorded as a ‘property’ of the VOC in Siam, stood a small brick house. By 1697 CE, it had been converted into a facility for storing and sawing sappan wood, replacing the workshop at Ban Chao Phraya. South of the Dutch Garden was one of the four main customs houses located, called the Royal Customs Posts of the Four Directions. It was the largest of all tax stations, controlling the incoming and outgoing sea vessels.





(Detail of the Dutch map “Kaart van de Rivier van Siam, van de Zee tot aan de Stad Siam ofte Judea”, Leupe 267 (National Archives), indicating the Dutch Garden “de Hollandsche Tuijn” and the customs post : Siams Tolhuijs”, Wat Prot Sat stood north)



Ligor


Since around 1640 CE, the VOC maintained a small trading post in Nakhon Sri Thammarat (Ligor). From 1664 CE onwards, the lodge in Ligor fell under the authority of the office in Ayutthaya. The company traded tin, sappan wood, and ivory in Ligor. The VOC held the Siamese monopoly on the export of tin. The export tax was 10 per cent, and the king could also claim a certain amount of tin “for his own use”. In reality, very little of the monopoly remained, as the king’s claim was often exercised. The post was closed in 1663 CE but reopened in 1707 CE. By 1756 CE, the settlement was finally abandoned. [25]





(Detail of a Dutch map indicating the VOC lodge in Ligor. Title in Leupe catalogue (National Archives): Kaart van de Golf van Siam, Cambodja enz., van Cabo de Patany tot de Bokshoornen by Isaac de Graaff / de Vries)



In 1688 CE, the French troops departed from Siam after altercations with King Phetracha (reign 1688-1703 CE) and the Dutch, being the only Europeans, could conclude a new and very favourable Treaty, confirming the monopoly of the trade in hides, granted by King Narai, and conceding, in addition, a monopoly of the trade in tin. [26]

In 1705 CE, the trade post was closed once more in protest. The VOC was pressured to purchase sappan wood from the king, while other merchants offered higher-quality wood at a lower price. The king was unimpressed and did not alter his policy the Dutch ultimately reopened the factory in 1706 CE.

In 1715 CE, when Japan decided that only two ships could come to Decima each year, the important trade in deer skins with Ayutthaya was suspended because it no longer proved profitable. Due to the growing importance of the tin trade, the settlement did not need to close. However, tin could be obtained more cheaply and in larger quantities in Palembang. For this reason, the lodge was broken up in 1740 CE, although ships were sent annually to Siam. The trade in Siam recovered around 1750 CE, but after that it lapsed. [27]

In 1732 CE, the company's territory housed 240 families, comprising 1,443 men, women, and children. [28]

Especially during King Borommakot’s reign (1733-1758 CE), the VOC’s issues in Siam were nearing a critical point: the new king refused to settle his debts or endorse the existing treaties. Even an ultimatum from the VOC’s Governor-General was disregarded. This prompted the company to decide once more to close the posts temporarily in 1741 CE. [29]




(Catalogue Leupe: De Stad Judia met de Hollandsche Logie by Isaac de Graaff - The Dutch Lodge is indicated on the map)



In 1747 CE, VOC’s “Opperhoofd” Nicolaas Bang, who had stayed behind in Ayutthaya, received orders to again purchase Siamese merchandise for the market in Japan. The post in Ligor functioned again from 1752 to 1756 CE, but was closed when the tin trade collapsed, and the VOC decided to focus on the East Indies, where they had conquered more territory and where the spice trade flourished. In 1760 CE, the Burmese attacked Siam’s capital but failed to capture it. The VOC’s trading post was looted, and Bang drowned attempting to escape the invaders. Bang’s son Michel paid a ransom to regain his freedom from the Burmese [30].


The post continued to serve its purpose until the company's presence in Ayutthaya ended in 1765 CE. The last VOC ships departed from Ayutthaya in November 1765 CE, and the company never returned.


By August 1766 CE, Bangkok had fallen to the Burmese, prompting the VOC’s new director, Abraham Werndlij, to leave a Siamese assistant in charge of the Ayutthaya post and to evacuate the company’s personnel. In September 1766 CE, the Burmese seized a strong position only about half a mile from the city, threatening the Christian quarter and the Dutch East India Company's compound. The Christians and some Chinese troops made a desperate attempt to defend their quarter, but by December, both the Christian quarter and the Dutch compound were in Burmese hands. [31]


The area of the Dutch lodge was a scene of heavy fighting against the Burmese. In a French missionary’s document, a military camp, assumed to be the Khlong Suan Phlu camp, was referred to as a “Dutch settlement” where around 6,000 Chinese were based with the Dutch (Dhiravat 2004-a: 342). In February, the Burmese attacked Suan Phlu, the large camp, for seven days and nights. Around three thousand Burmese soldiers were killed by the Chinese. However, since provisions had run out, it was impossible to continue fighting. On 26 March 1767 CE, the camp was routed. [32]


The VOC’s trading post was looted and destroyed. The company reduced its losses by capturing a ship bound for Siam, loaded with merchandise. This marked the definitive end of the VOC’s era in Ayutthaya.





(Excavations at the site of the Dutch lodge – Picture taken November 2009 CE)



The aftermath


In 1938 CE, the Fine Arts Department discovered traces of the Dutch settlement, and the site was registered as an important archaeological location in the Royal Gazette Volume 55, dated 27 February 1938 CE. However, no systematic excavations were conducted at that time.


On the old VOC premises in Ayutthaya, a memorial was unveiled on 19 August 1956 CE in the presence of Honorary J. Voogd, the Dutch Minister, and Jan J. Boeles, nearly 320 years after its founding. The memorial plaque reads "From 1634 till 1767 the Factory of the Dutch East India Company stood here."


As part of the celebrations marking 400 years of Dutch-Thai relations (1604 to 2004 CE), the Fine Arts Department conducted an archaeological excavation in the area from October 2003 CE to 2005 CE. These excavations revealed the foundations of three main buildings, followed by the discovery of three additional structures the following year. Additionally, ceramic shards (Chinese, Vietnamese, Siamese), glassware, Dutch pipes, Chinese coins, cowrie shells, and numerous other artefacts were uncovered.


The latest excavations, conducted between November 2008 and March 2009 CE, revealed further details about the group of buildings, including drain pipe channels. Most of the Lodge remains buried, serving as unexplored witnesses to a Dutch adventurous past. The factory archives were never recovered.





(The inauguration of a memorial monument on the site took place on 19 August 1956 CE)



The excavation work in 2008-9 CE was part of a project to construct an information centre at the site, with Dr Dhiravat na Pombejra serving as the adviser for the Thai Fine Arts Department. The site is located just behind Wat Phanan Choeng, along the road to Bang Pa-In, near a privately owned dockyard in Khlong Suan Phlu Sub-district.





(Archaeological plan of the Dutch village site – Fine Arts Department 3rd Region)



Footnotes:

(1) The Sultanate of Singora was a heavily fortified port city in southern Thailand and the precursor of the present-day town of Songkhla. It was founded in the early 17th century by a Persian, Dato Mogol, and flourished during the reign of his son, Sultan Sulaiman Shah. In 1680 CE, after decades of conflict, the city was destroyed and abandoned remains include forts, city walls, a Dutch cemetery and the tomb of Sultan Sulaiman Shah.
(2) During the Ayutthaya period, the city of Ayutthaya was embraced by the Lopburi River. The current route from Ayutthaya (Wat Phanan Choeng) to Bang Sai was historically part of the ancient Lopburi River, which encircled the city and merged with the Chao Phraya River at Bang Sai. This route was also known as the Bangkok River. Furthermore, in the mid-19th century, the Chao Phraya River was diverted towards Ayutthaya.
(3) The southern customs house of Ayutthaya was situated near Wat Prot Sat at Bang Tanaosi in the present-day Khanon Luang Sub-district of Bang Pa-In, south of Ko Rian.





(The memorial monument at the Dutch Settlement – Picture taken April 2011 CE)



References:


[1] www.vocsite.nl - 1 Dec 2008 CE.

[2] Baker, Chris Pombejra, Dhiravat na Van Der Kraan Alfons & Wyatt, David K. (2005). Van Vliet's Siam. Silkworm Books. p.20.

[3] Wood, William, A.R. (1924). A History of Siam. Chalermnit Press. p. 159.

[4] Blankwaardt, W. Notes upon the Relations between Holland and Siam (Journal of the Siam Society 020, 3c).

[5] Baker, Chris Pombejra, Dhiravat na Van Der Kraan Alfons & Wyatt, David K. (2005). Van Vliet's Siam. Silkworm Books. p.20.

[6] Terwiel Barend J. De Marees and Schouten Visit the Court of King Songtham, 1628. Journal of the Siam Society 107, 1c.

[7] Wood, William, A.R. (1924). A History of Siam. Chalermnit Press. p. 178.

[8] Dachregister van den Ed: heer Gouverneur Generael ende Raeden van India gehouden in Batavia beginnende t'zeedert den 13 en December A° 1633. 14 Mei 1634.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Dutch papers, extracts from the "Dagh register", 1624-1642. Cornell University Library. Bangkok, 1915.

[11] Van der Kraan, Alfons. The Dutch in Siam: Jeremias van Vliet and the 1636 Incident at Ayutthaya.

[12] Villiers, John (1986). François Caron and Joost Schouten. A True Description of the Mighty Kingdoms of Japan and Siam. Facsimile of the 1671 London edition. The Siam Society, Bangkok. p. 152.

[13] Terwiel, Barend Jan (2008). A Traveler in Siam in the Year 1655: Extracts from the Journal of Gijsbert Heeck. Silkworm Books.

[14] Fryke on Siam in the 1680s. Journal of the Siam Society [JSS] 2008. Vol. 96. pp 241-2.

[15] Chapter XII. pp. 138-9 in the 1929 edition. Casell, London.

[16] Christoff Frikens Ost-Indianische Räysen und Krieges Dienste/ Oder eine Außführliche Beschreibung/ was sich Zeit solcher/ nemlich von A. 1680. biß A. 1685. so zur See/ als zu Land/ in offentlichen Treffen und Scharmützeln/ in Belagerungen/ Stürmen und Eroberungen der Heydnischen Plätze und Städte/ in Marchiren und Quartieren/ mit ihme und seinen beygefügten Cameraden hin und wieder begeben. Da dann insonderheit der Bantamische Krieg auf Gross-Java [...] vorgestellet und entworffen, etc. Ulm, gedruckt bey Matthæo Wagnern, 1692.

[17] Wood, William, A.R. (1924). A History of Siam. Chalermnit Press. p. 179.

[18] www.vocsite.nl - 1 Dec 2008 CE.

[19] Wood, William, A.R. (1924). A History of Siam. Chalermnit Press pp. 180-181.

[20] Ibid. pp. 183-184.

[21] Wyatt, David K. (2003). Thailand, A short history (2nd Ed.). Silkworm Books. p. 98.

[22] Brozius, John R. “Siamese King Sent Diplomats to 'King' Maurits at The Hague.

[23] Wikipedia – Pieter De Bitter.[24] Wood, William, A.R. (1924). A History of Siam. Chalermnit Press. pp. 217- 218.

[25] www.vocsite.nl - 1 Dec 2008 CE.

[26] Wood, William, A.R. (1924). A History of Siam. Chalermnit Press. p. 247.

[27] www.vocsite.nl - 1 Dec 2008 CE.

[28] VOC 2239, Siam 3rd part, Daily register Ayutthaya 1731-1732, p. 39 (1732 May 5).

[29] Brozius, John R. “Siamese King Sent Diplomats to 'King' Maurits at The Hague.

[30] Ibid.[31] Wood, William, A.R. (1924). A History of Siam. Chalermnit Press. p. 247.

[32] Masuda Erika (2007). The Fall of Ayutthaya and Siam’s Disrupted Order of Tribute to China (1767-1782). Taiwan Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 4 (2):75-128.



Selected PICTURES



Pictures taken December 2008 CE



Pictures taken November 2009 CE



Pictures taken November 2011 CE



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HISTORY OF AYUTTHAYA



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