Much as I love Ayutthaya (and I lived there for several years), I wouldn't go as far as to say (as the article does) it's beautiful. The town has grown up in between the ruins, so the sites are generally difficult to appreciate in isolation. One ruin is even inside the women's prison yard. Conservation has generally been done poorly. The town buildings are typical, low quality, ugly Thai blocks. And the efforts to maintain the park are risible. The historic parks of Sukhothai and Sri Satchanalai are far more pleasant.