During much of the fifteenth century Ayutthaya's energies were directed toward the Malay Peninsula, where the great trading port of Malacca contested its claims to sovereignty. Malacca and other Malay states south of Tambralinga had become Muslim early in the century, and thereafter Islam served as a symbol of Malay solidarity against the Thais. Although it failed to make a vassal state of Malacca, Ayutthaya continued to control the lucrative trade on the isthmus, which attracted Chinese traders of specialty goods for the luxury markets of China.
Ruins of the old city, Ayutthaya, after the Burmese invasion.In 1767, Burma invaded Siam, totally destroying Ayutthaya and ending the era of the proud nation of Siam. It was one of many invasions throughout the history of Siam, from neighboring Burma, which was the mightiest of all in South East Asia at the time.