Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [151]
Be aware that many crossroads don’t have traffic lights. Thai road rules therefore apply: if you’re bigger and faster, you have right of way.
At night several packs of dogs roam the streets. Avoid eye contact and keep your distance as some will bite if you get too close.
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AYUTHAYA THREE-DAY ITINERARY
This three-day itinerary will ensure you get to all the major ruins and also see some of the picturesque countryside just outside the city centre.
Day One
See the Cycling Tour on Click here.
Day Two
Take the train to Bang Pa In Palace (Click here) and then continue on to the Bang Sai Royal Arts and Crafts Centre (Click here). After lunch, return to Ayuthaya, stopping off on the way at Wat Phanan Choeng (opposite).
Day Three
Get off the island and visit Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon (Click here) and the nearby Portuguese settlement (Click here). In the afternoon, take a leisurely look around Baan Th Dusit (Click here), but be sure to return to the island in time for a sunset boat ride (Click here) to see the temples at their finest.
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Sights
Only a few of the 400 temples built in Ayuthaya now remain, but the headless Buddha images and slumping stone stairways make an ideal place to conjure up images of a once mighty city.
For simpler navigation, we’ve divided up the sites into ‘on the island’ and ‘off the island’ sections. It’s easy to get between the sites by bicycle, and hiring a guide for some historical detail is useful.
Most temples are open from 8am to 4pm; the more famous sites charge an entrance fee. A one-day pass for most sites on the island is available for 220B and can be bought at the museums or ruins.
The ruins are symbols of royalty and religion, two fundamental elements of Thai society, and so it is important to show respect (Click here).
ON THE ISLAND
The following sites are in central Ayuthaya, within the boundaries of the river, and can be visited over a day or three.
Wat Phra Si Sanphet
The three dominant chedi (stupas) at Wat Phra Si Sanphet (admission 50B) make it a must-see location on any temple tour. Built in the late 14th century, this was the largest temple in Ayuthaya and was used by several kings. It once contained a 16m-high standing Buddha (Phra Si Sanphet) covered with 250kg of gold, which was melted down by the Burmese conquerors.
Wihaan Mongkhon Bophit
Adjoining Wat Phra Si Sanphet is this sanctuary hall, which houses one of Thailand’s biggest bronze Buddhas. This 17m-high figure is also one of the kingdom’s most resilient images, having survived both lightning strikes and fire.
In 1955 the Burmese prime minister visited and donated 200,000B to help restore the building, an act of belated atonement for his country’s sacking of the city 200 years before.
Wat Phra Mahathat
Built in 1374 during the reign of King Borom Rachathirat I, the most famous part of Wat Phra Mahathat (admission 50B) is a Buddha head embedded among a tree’s maze of roots. Such a blending of nature and religious imagery is auspicious, but no one knows quite how the head ended up there. One theory is that the image was abandoned after the Burmese sacked Ayuthaya, and trees subsequently grew around it. Another idea is that thieves tried to steal the head, but found it was too heavy and so left it at the site. The remaining prang (Khmer-style tower) is the other main feature.
Wat Ratburana
Immediately north of Wat Phra Mahathat, this temple (Ratcha-burana; admission 50B) has one of the best preserved prang in the city. It was built in the 15th century by King Borom Rachathirat II on the cremation site for his two brothers who both died while fighting each other for the throne.
Looters raided the site in 1957 and stole many treasures. Some of the culprits were arrested and a subsequent official excavation of the site uncovered many rare Buddha images in the crypt.
Wat Thammikarat
To the west of