The destruction of Ayutthaya might well have spelled the end of Siamese power. Or it might well have led to another 1569 – following which a heroic king freed his country and restored the old capital. But instead, Siam went a different path. A liberator – two – would emerge. But they would not restore old Ayutthaya. Instead they forged a new path altogether.
The new Siam of Taksin and Rama I would cement Thai authority over mainland Southeast Asia. And when the specter of European imperialism came calling, the kingdom was well prepared to handle it. Thus modern Thailand was born.