Ayutthaya (Ayudhya) was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1351 to 1767. Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders; including the Chinese; Vietnamese (Annamese); Indians; Japanese and Persians; and later the Portuguese; Spanish; Dutch and French; permitting them to set up villages outside the city walls. In the sixteenth century; it was described by foreign traders as one of the biggest and wealthiest cities in the East. The court of King Narai (1656-1688) had strong links with that of King Louis XIV of France; whose ambassadors compared the city in size and wealth to Paris.