Why did Burma borrow so many of Ayutthaya’s customs after defeating them in 1767?

One would expect the Burmese to not be willing to accept of a seemingly inferior culture that they defeated in a war but that wasn’t the case.

Many Thai dancers were captured in order to teach the Burmese court how to dance. The Thai version of Ramakien had a heavy influence on the Burmese Yama Zatdaw.

Many Thai martial artists were also captured and Muay Boran had a heavy influence on the Burmese Lethwei.

Many other Burmese snacks are derived from Thai snacks. Khanon dok, shwe yin aye, mont let hsaung, and mont di.

Why did the Burmese heavily borrow aspects of Thai culture even though they seemingly wouldn’t be a position to want to accept Thai culture. Burma was a much older kingdom than Siam, and unlike Cambodia, which although older, was succumbing to external forces that made Siamese influences heavier, Burma was still a strong kingdom.

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