Ayutthaya: The ruins and historical sites in this central plains province are a must-see in every guide book, but this ancient former capital is being taken by storm since the premiere of TV series Buppaesannivas (Destiny), a historical fantasy.
Large crowds are turning up in Ayutthaya, especially at weekends, to see for themselves the locations that appear in the series. Many of them also dress in traditional Thai attire, apparently inspired by the characters.
Ayutthaya is integral to Buppaesannivas, a romantic comedy based on a novel of the same name written by an author who goes by the pen name of "Romphaeng".
It follows an adventure of a young present-day female archaeologist who, after a car accident, wakes up in the body of a woman named Karakket living in Ayutthaya in the period during the reign of King Narai the Great, who lived from 1632 to 1688.
Since its premiere on Channel 3, the series has been a big hit and visitors to the region have begun seeking out the temples and ancient ruins featured in the show. These include Wat Yai Chaimongkol, Wat Phanan Choeng, Wat Buddhai Sawan, Wat Chai Wattanaram, Wat Choeng Tha and Wat Maha That.
Pol Col Surapong Thampitak, chief of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya police station, said the province has always been a popular destination with both local and foreign tourists. "But after the TV series, there has been a sharp increase in visitors. I think this weekend we expect a 100% increase [on last year]," he said.
Pol Col Surapong said that while this means more income for the local economy, it also brings traffic chaos.
Local authorities have mobilised resources to deal with the increased number of people and stepped up security for tourists, he said.
Patrols by law enforcement officers have been ramped up help prevent petty crime while volunteers will help to make sure tourists are not harassed by touts, he said.
Apichart Suksomboon, chairman of Ban Pom tambon administrative organisation, said the TV series has created a craze for the province and traffic around popular sites including Wat Chai Wattanaram has gone from bad to worse.
Only 70km from Bangkok, Ayutthaya is a popular destination for day trips from the capital by car, but several sites do not have enough parking spaces to cope with current demand.
He said local officials have drafted a contingency plan to accommodate large numbers of visitors and vehicles at Wat Chai Wattanaram, which is one of the biggest crowdpullers.
The plan is pending approval from provincial authorities.
According to Mr Apichart, visitors will be asked to leave their cars at designated areas within a 1km radius of Wat Chai Wattanaram and take a courtesy bus to the site.
Natpassorn Wasuttayanont, a fan of the series admitted that she and friends cannot resist the urge to retrace the characters' steps and take photos at those locations.
She said it is also fun to see other visitors wear traditional costumes and hopes the trend will continue after the series ends.