The Study of Ayutthaya History Through Portuguese Documents

Abstract

The study of Ayutthaya history through Portuguese documents is one of historical processes used in studying history. Foreign documents are applied in research on Thai history as well. As we known, Portugal was the first foreign country visiting Ayutthaya in 1511 A.D. Since then two countries prospered their relationship. Official and semi-official records and religious documents help individuals who study Ayutthaya's history to get more understanding of the history. However, the “Ayutthaya-ism” found in Portuguese documents is focused on the explanation of international relationship and politics despite the fact that Portugal used cultural methods in paving to the oriental world in 16th century. In Thailand, there are very little research on the study of Ayutthaya's history through Portugal documents because of the knowledge of the language and the problem of access to the documents. The study on Portuguese cultural interaction in Ayutthaya and Southeast Asia should be studied.