Ayutthaya is like an international trading center (major trading center in South East Asia)
Dutch and Portuguese traders established ports in Thailand
Muslim merchants brought cloth, opium and minerals with which they traded for spices, Chinese goods, gold, jewels, and aromatic gums.
Chinese traders brought in tea, silk, porcelain, minerals, spices, foodstuffs, aromatic wood and a variety of forest products
The Dutch expanded the trade network (imported European cloth and glassware)
The trade system is formed by the Chinese merchants
Thai economy was based on valley economy.
Because of trade, Ayutthaya became extremely wealthy
There was a connection between Thai trade and Burmese invasion because they feel intimidated and they feel threatened by the Thai capital. Thai trade allowed Thailand to be prosperous, so the Burmese were envious.
Money, geopolitical ambition, Burma needs trade in order to get the guns from the Europeans, so they can dominate Thailand
After the Burmese invaded: 1820 and 1830, the military threat from Burma gradually disappeared, Thai economy increased dramatically.
Plantations of sugar, pepper, tobacco, and cotton, indigo sprang up in the countryside.
The economy is based on rice. (Solid base of rice production)
Luxury items, necessary items
Countries that trade in Ayutthaya included China, Portugal, Spain, India, Arabia, Iran, Malaysia, Indonesia, England and Holland
