Fans of the Thai television program ‘Love Destiny’ (Bupphasannivas) are heading to Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of Siam, in record numbers, causing headaches for local officials unprepared for the extra attention and damage caused by the influx of tourists.
Ayutthaya was Siam’s capital during the reign of 22 kings, and Love Destiny recounts the love story of one of those rulers. That’s spurred unprecedented interest in Wat Chaiwatthanaram. The temple used to see no more than 1,000 tourists a day, but that number has grown to almost 10,000.
Local authorities have had to restrict access to the temple during weekends, as well as deal with damage caused by visitors who climb the sanctuary walls.