Ayutthaya is a about 80 kilometres north of Bangkok. It was capital of the Kingdom of Siam, and a prosperous international trading port, from 1350 until razed by the Burmese in 1767.
The main reason for our visit to Ayutthaya was to visit the historical sites of this city.
Founded c. 1350, Ayutthaya became the second Siamese capital after Sukhothai. It flourished from the 14th to the 18th centuries, during which time it grew to be one of the world’s largest and most cosmopolitan urban areas and a centre of global diplomacy and commerce.
Ayutthaya was strategically located on an island surrounded by three rivers connecting the city to the sea. This site was chosen because it was located above the tidal bore of the Gulf of Siam as it existed at that time, thus preventing attack on the city by the sea-going warships of other nations. The location also helped to protect the city from seasonal flooding. Ayutthaya was laid out according to a systematic and rigid city planning grid, consisting of roads, canals, and moats around all the principal structures. The scheme took maximum advantage of the city’s position amid three rivers and had a hydraulic system for water management which was technologically extremely advanced and unique in the world.
The city was attacked and razed by the Burmese army in 1767 who burned the city to the ground and forced the inhabitants to abandon the city. The city was never rebuilt in the same location and remains known today as an extensive archaeological site.
The Historic Park of Ayutthaya has been recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
To explore Ayutthaya, I had booked us on a cycle tour, with Thailand Biking, which seemed to be the best way to get around the city. We got the friendly and helpful manager of the Pin Dan to organise a tuk-tuk to take us to the meeting point with our guide. As we waited outside the hotel on the road a tuk-tuk pulled up and we told the driver the address of where we wanted to go. We had cut leaving the hotel to get to where we needed to be quite fine, but our stress level increased as it was obvious our driver didn’t have a clue, and we ended up at the wrong bike shop and then he couldn’t find the address when we did get to the right road.
Eventually, we managed to find the meeting place, Thailand Bicycle. It turned out that it was just me and Karen on the tour, so it didn’t matter that we were a bit late. Our guide was a young Thai lady called Bella.
Our steeds were two cruiser bikes, with chunky tyres. Unlike most bikes we’d borrowed or hired in Thailand these bikes had three gears and brakes that worked. Luxury.
We were already outside of town, so our trip started in the countryside around Ayutthaya. It was nice to get used to the bicycles on these quiet lanes before entering the hubbub of the town. Our first stop was a rice field, where we dismounted our bicycles. The rice was reaching maturity and was due to be harvested soon. We’d seen plenty of rice fields during our trips to Africa and Sri Lanka, but we’d seen fields in earlier stages of maturity. It was interesting to see the final stage of the rice plant before it is harvested and processed. Bella told us that in the past the rice was harvested by people with scythes. This presents a danger to the people working in the fields as poisonous snakes, such as cobras, like to roam these fields. Today, most of the harvesting is done by machines.
We hopped on our bikes and continued the journey.
Next up was a temple by the river where we stopped to feed the fish. As we stood there a huge barge passed us by. This river is navigable down to Bangkok in the south, so it is a major passageway for goods. The lucky fish in this river are protected by their location adjacent to the temple, so there are thousands of them living in the waters here. When we threw the fish food it started a feeding frenzy of these red-tailed carp. It didn’t seem to matter how much food we threw in these fish seemed insatiable.
Now it was time to venture into the town. We headed towards Ayutthaya’s station before diverting down a side street towards the river. The plan was to cross a river, not by a bridge but on a small river ferry. The ferries are mainly for foot passengers, but we were able to carry our bicycles onboard for the minute or so trip across the river.
Now on what the locals call the ‘Island’, we were on our way to visit some of the treasures of this city.
Our destination was the Ayutthaya Historic Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are several important sites in the Historic Park, which is deeply embedded within the modern city.
Wat Kudidao
This temple was restored by King Thai Sa in 1711. According to documents, the temple was the residence of Phra Then Muni, an important priest who advised Crown Prince Boromakot during his residence there and was later involved in various negotiations about the succession.
The temple is considered a good example of late Ayutthaya style. Abandoned after Ayutthaya fell to the Burmese in 1767, the site has been partially restored in modern times.
Wat Mahathat, “the temple of the Great Relic”.
This was one of the most important temples in the Ayutthaya Kingdom and was believed to be a Royal Temple. Located on the historical island the large monastery features a huge central prang, a very large principal vihara and ubosot and a great number of subsidiary chedis and viharns. The upper part of its once massive central prang has collapsed. Today only the base remains.
One of the temple’s most photographed objects is the head of a stone Buddha image entwined in the roots of a tree.
The temple was constructed in 1374 by King Boromma Rachathirat I. A large prang was built to enshrine Buddha relics. The prang collapsed in the early 17th century, after which it was restored and enlarged. A large number of viharas (assembly halls) and chedis were added during the reign of later Kings.
When the Burmese invaded and largely destroyed Ayutthaya in 1767, the Wat Mahathat was set on fire. The central prang collapsed again in the early 20th century and has not been restored.
It was by now approaching lunchtime, so we headed into the town to a small restaurant where we tucked into pad Thai.
Wat Ratchaburana
Having already eaten our feeding frenzy was not complete, we still had to have dessert. We cycled 10 minutes into the Muslim district of the city. One of the local delicacies here is colourful pulled strings of sugar candy. Large balls of coloured candy are made which are pulled into long strings that are a couple of metres in length. These candy strings are then cut into lengths, about half a metre long. To finish the dish these candy strings are rolled into equally colourful roti (an Indian style of pancake). It might sound not very good, but these tasted amazing!
Refuelled we carried on with our tour of the archaeological sites of Ayutthaya.
King Borom Ratchathirat II built Wat Ratchaburana at the place where both his brothers died (they killed each other) during a fight for the vacant throne of Ayutthaya. After his brothers’ deaths, King Borom Ratchathirat II became the King. Wat Ratchaburana was built during the early Ayutthaya period. The prang was the centrepiece of the temple compound.
The vault of Wat Ratchaburana became known to the public some decades ago, and looters broke into the vault in 1957. The looters were apprehended, but a lot of the stolen goods were never recovered. Later on, more than 100,000 votive Buddhist tablets were found, as well as gold jewellery with a combined weight of more than 100 kilograms.
The vaults inside the main prang also displayed mural paintings, depicting the previous lives of the Buddha. Unfortunately, over the last few years, these images have deteriorated a lot. Only very few visible images are left.
Wat Phra Si Sanphet
Our penultimate stop of the day was Wat Phra Si Sanphet, “the temple of the Buddha Si Sanphet”.
In its heydays, in the mid-17th century, the temple consisted of a raised platform supporting three very large, gilded bell-shaped stupas and three gilded mondops, an enormous viharn enshrining a 16-metre tall gilded Buddha image, as well as dozens of smaller chedis and chapels.
The monastery’s main structures are aligned east-west. At the centre of the Wat Phra Si Sanphet are three large bell-shaped stupas (chedis) standing on an elevated platform. Next to each chedi stood a square mondop with a pyramidal roof.
The platform is surrounded by a walled and roofed gallery lined with Buddha images. To the east stands the massive principal viharn that enshrined the 16-metre tall, gilded Phra Si Sanphet Buddha as well as two smaller viharas.
The history of Wat Phra Si Sanphet spans several centuries. The first structures were built during the 14th century. During the reign of later Ayutthaya Kings structures were added until the temple reached the peak of its glory in the second half of the 17th century.
In 1491 King Ramathibodi II built two large chedis to enshrine the ashes of his father and older brother. Several years later the King had a 50-metre-long viharn built east of the chedis to enshrine a large, gilded image of the Buddha named Phra Si Sanphet. The temple then got its present name.
Another three decades later a third chedi was constructed to enshrine the ashes of King Ramathibodi II. During the reign of King Narai in the second half of the 17th century a large cross-shaped viharn named Prasat Phra Narai was constructed directly West of the central platform supporting the three stupas.
The temple was largely destroyed by the Burmese armies in 1767, leaving only its three massive stupas standingTo
Wat Lokkayasutha
The final stop on our tour was the largest reclining Buddha in Ayutthaya at Wat Lokkayasutha.
This temple, constructed at an unknown date, was largely destroyed when the city of Ayutthaya fell to the Burmese in 1767. Its name means “The Temple of the Earth”. In the ruined viharn at the west edge of the temple is a 42-metre-long, 8-metre-tall recumbent Buddha statue known as ‘Phra Buddha Sai Yat’.
In its heyday, the temple was considerably larger than it now appears. The viharn at the west side (which housed the reclining Buddha) was part of a larger ensemble measuring approximately 150 x 70 metres which included three viharns on the east side of the temple and an ubosot (ordination hall) and prang at the centre.
It was a great place to finish our tour. So, it was now time to follow Bella back to the shop and say our goodbyes. We walked down the street to the train station and caught a tuk-tuk back to the Pin Dan Boutique Hotel
Planning your visit to Ayutthaya
Getting to Ayutthaya
Train
We would suggest this option as the trains from Bangkok are reliable and affordable. From the main train station in Bangkok (Hua Lamphong Railway Station), you can take a direct train (no switching trains, but the train will make multiple stops) to the Ayutthaya main train station.
Trains to Ayutthaya run regularly throughout the day from Bangkok’s main station, and the journey typically takes around 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on the type of train you select (express or ordinary).
This is by far the cheapest way to get to Ayutthaya as the ordinary, 3rd class ticket only costs 12 THB (roughly 35 cents). The 3rd class seats are unassigned and did not include A/C, however, the train was equipped with a fan. We didn’t mind the lack of A/C one bit, as the breeze from the open window was perfect!
Bus
Buses also run regularly between Bangkok and Ayutthaya from the Northern Bus Terminal (Mo Chit) in Bangkok to Bangsue Grand Station in Ayutthaya. Taking a bus from Bangkok to Ayutthaya is the fastest option as the journey is around 1 to 1.5 hours and costs roughly 50 THB.
Join a tour from Bangkok
If you prefer a more comfortable journey without the uncertainties of public transportation, you can hire a private taxi or join a guided tour that includes transportation. For a seamless trip to Ayutthaya, directly from your hotel in Bangkok and back, we would suggest booking a private or shared tour.
Getting around Ayutthaya
Once you arrive in Ayutthaya, there are various modes of transportation available for getting around the city, including tuk-tuks, bicycles, and motorbike rentals.
Outside the train station, will be tuk-tuk drivers waiting to take you around the city. The going rate seems to be 200 THB per hour. The tuk-tuk drivers will also have a map of all the possible attractions in Ayutthaya, and you can just point to the ones you want to go to if you are afraid of communicating with the drivers
The best time to visit Ayutthaya
If you’re looking to travel to Ayutthaya for your next trip but aren’t sure when to go and when to avoid, this article is all you’ll need. The best time to visit Ayutthaya is December-February due to the excellent all-round weather conditions, and it’s also not during the height of peak travel periods, so it’s not likely to be as busy.
The warmest month of the year in Ayutthaya is April, where the average temperature gets to around 38℃ (100℉), but temperatures can reach as high as 39℃ (103℉) on the hottest days in summer. In the winter, temperatures can get down to 18℃ (64℉) around December.
If you want to get the most out of your time visiting Ayutthaya, or you’re just afraid of the dark, the days in May are usually the longest between sunrise and sunset. You don’t want to get wet on your holiday, do you? Well if you’re trying to avoid the rain, then steer clear of Ayutthaya in October. Head over there in February instead if you want to increase your chances of not being rained on.
Where to stay in Ayutthaya
1. MID-RANGE PAN DIN BOUTIQUE GUEST HOUSE
We stopped for a couple of nights and it was a very pleasant stay. It was in a very quiet area of Ayutthaya. The staff could not have been more helpful and friendly. We had breakfast included and there were plenty of options for us vegetarians.
It was a little off the beaten track but they did have bicycles to borrow and the owner does rides to the night market. They can also organise a tuk-tuk to take you around the city.
2. LUXURY – SALA AYUTTHAYA
Located in the heart of Ayutthaya, Sala Ayutthaya is 0.7 mi from Chao Sam Phraya National Museum. This boutique hotel offers an outdoor pool and stylish accommodations with free WiFi access.
The hotel is 1 mi from Ayutthaya Historical Park and 1.1 mi from Wat Chaiwatthanaram. Suvarnabhumi Airport is 47 mi away.
3. BUDGET – BAN BOONCHU
Located in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Ban Boonchu features cozy accommodations with free Wi-Fi access. Other facilities include on-site parking and a shared lounge.
Ban Boonchu is 1969 foot from Wat Mahathat, 0.7 mi from Chao Sam Phraya National Museum and 0.9 mi from Ayutthaya Historical Park. Suvarnabhumi Airport is 47 mi away.