The historical city of Ayutthaya is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located roughly an hour and a half north of Bangkok. It was founded in 1350 and was once the second capital of Siam next to Sukhothai.
In the 1700’s it was said to have a population of around 1 million people, which would’ve made it the largest city in the world at that time. In 1767 it was overthrown and burned down by the Burmese.
Ayutthaya was the first day-trip that I took after arriving in Thailand. I booked it for 500 baht from the Travel Agency just outside the lobby of the D & D. If you ever find yourself in Bangkok you should definitely take a day to visit the historic city.
The price included an air-conditioned minibus that picked us up from our hotel on Khao San Road and dropped us back off at the end of the day, a partial English speaking tour guide, visits 5 different historical sites throughout the city of Ayuttaya, and a traditional Thai lunch.
If you visit, remember that there are many wats (temples) in Ayutthaya and you should respect the Thai culture by wearing clothing that covers your knees and avoid wearing revealing tops. I wore a tank top with a maxi skirt and brought a light scarf to cover up when necessary.
Our first stop was Wat Yai Chai Mang Khon, one of Ayutthaya’s most historically important and touristy sites. There is a massive stupa built by King Naresuan that can be seen from all over Ayutthaya and a large white reclining Buddha.
The temple is still very active, with monks living in small wooden houses on the grounds. When we first arrived there were a group of young boys standing in front of one of the temples. Our tour guide told us that they were training to become monks.
Next, we went to Wat Mahathat. There are a lot of prangs in the area, most in ruins.
Most of the Buddhist sculptures that you’ll find in this location are headless thanks to the Burmese.
I loved the look of the red accents all over the ruins, and of course, the famous Buddha head wrapped in the roots of a tree was very cool to see.
Wat Lokkayasutharam had the least amount of tourists, which made the view of the giant reclining Buddha even better.
There were locals with stands set up selling incense and flowers to offer to the Buddha for good luck. The man we bought some from helped us make an offering to the Buddha and gave us each a gold leaf to rub on the smaller Buddha in front.
We had lunch at a small local restaurant. They served us a red curry with chicken, vegetables, rice and Thai omelettes.
After lunch, we went to see a large temple. Unfortunately, the tour guide didn’t give us any information on this location, and it was under construction.
Lastly, we went to Wat Phra Si Sanphet. This temple is located where the royal palace was before it was destroyed.
The three large chedis are very impressive and are very well preserved. They are said to house the ashes of three different Kings: King Rama Thibodi II, King Trailok, and Kind Borom Ratchathirat III.
If you ever find yourself in Bangkok I highly recommend taking a day to visit the historic city of Ayutthaya.
