Ayutthaya travel pictures

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Sightseeing in Ayutthaya

Ayutthaya was the former capital (1350-1767) of Thailand and still a place which is surrounded by its long history. This place has some of the most impressive temples and ruins in Thailand and it is well recommended to spent a day (or two) here. In early days it must have been an amazing city but the Burmese sacked the city and moved the capitol to Bangkok. Ayutthaya is besides Sukothai one of the most historical cities in Thailand. The majority of temples are clustered in a historical park with some of the temples large and impressive and built in different styles. Without travelling the whole country you get a good feel for some of the history of Thailand.

Centrally located is Wat Pra Si Sampet which has three well preserved stupas lined up and is the most striking temple that you should visit in Ayutthaya. Most of the rest of the structures are ruins, but it is not hard to image how impressive this temple must have looked like when it was finished. The largest stupa is that of Wat Phu Khao Thong and because of its white color it looks much different to the other temples. Being located a bit further away means that there are hardly any other visitors around. Close to it is the monument of King Naresunan located. The other temple which is a must visit is Wat Chai Rattanaram which is an Ankor style temple and is one of the larger structures around that is mostly intact. It has been well preserved and it is possible to visit all parts of it. There are some fields of grass located around it which create a good opportunity to create a picture of the whole place. This temple is the best example of the dominant power this city must have been.

There are many other temples inside the historical park such as those of Wat Mahathat and Wat Phra Ram. Many of these are just ruins, so the seeing them all does not necessarily add much to your stay here. It is worth doing a bit of research which sights you would find most interesting and than randomly add a few others. Some of the temples are still being actively used today. One of them is Wat Yahi Chai Mongkol which has an enormous stupa as a center and is surrounded by many smaller decorated Buddha structures.

There are different ways of getting to Ayutthaya. The most convenient one is by joining an organized day tour that departs from Bangkok. The convenience is that everything is arranged for and all you have to do is get onto the bus in the morning. The downside of this day tour is that they only stop at a limited number of temples which are then crowded with all the people who visit them at once. As an alternative, it is easy to travel over here for two days here and given its size compared to the number of visitors you will be able to get a more authentic experience. It is only located 76 kilometers from Bangkok which is not an enormous distance to cover. There is a train that connects both cities, although tickets could sell out in advance. Alternatively, there is a bus that caters towards tourists and tickets for it can be bought at any travel agent near Khao San road in Bangkok. Expect to travel for around 2.5 hours to get there.

Getting around Ayutthaya is best done by bicycle. The temples are quite far apart from each other which makes you spent a considerable amount of time and energy if you want to walk to them especially if it gets hot during the day. There are a few ones such as Wat Phu Khao Thong which are simply not in walking distance. Cycling gives you the freedom to get to every place and because traffic is mild it is also a relaxing thing to do. Usually where there are a few hostels located together, there is also a place that has bicycles for rent. It is worth to take it for a short ride to see if everything is in working order. For those who are less able get around, the alternative is the tuk-tuk.

The best time to visit Ayutthaya is between October and March as this is the dry season and the weather will be comfortable for most of the time. The rainy season last from May to September. Having traveled during this time myself it can be for confirmed taht you can still expect many bright sunny days. Just when it starts to rain, often only late in the afternoon, it does rain considerably. Apart from the temples there aren't many places to take shelter, so it is worth checking the weather forecast ahead and plan accordingly.

Ayutthaya travel photo gallery

Wat Mahathat.	Aat Mongkol Bophit.	Wat Phra Si Sanphet.	The Thailand photo galleries that are available: Ang Thong national marine park, Ao Nang, Ayutthaya, Bangkok, Bang Pa-In, Chiang Mai, Damnoen Saduak floating market, Doi Inthanon National Park, Hong Island, Kanchanaburi, Khao Sok national park, Koh Phangan, Koh Samui, Koh Tao, Muang Boran, Phi Phi Islands, Raileh and Sukhothai.
The Wat Phra Si Sanphet temple in Ayutthaya.	The three stupas of Wat Phra Si Sanphet.	Buddha statue.
Small stupas on the site of Wat Phra Si Sanphet.	Temple ruins.	Ruins and stupa.
Stupa between the ruins.	Wat Phra Si Sanphet.	Classic view of Wat Phra Si Sanphet.
Chedis of Wat Phra Si Sanphet.	Perfectly preserved chedis.	Wat Phra Si Sanphet.
Ruins of Wat Phra Si Sanphet.	Ruins of Wat Phra Si Sanphet.	Traditional wooden house.
Modern temple in the former capital.	King Naresunan monument.	Monument of King Naresunan.
Wat Phu Khao Thong.	The massive temple Wat Phu Khao Thong.	Modern temple near Wat Phu Khao Thong.
Wat Phra Ram.	Bushes growing on top of Wat Phra Ram.	Wat Phra Ram in.
Lake in the historical park.	Scenery of the historical park.	Small Stupa.
Wat Chai Wattanaram.	Wat Chai Wattanaram.	Central tower of Wat Chai Wattanaram.
Wat Chai Wattanaram, one of the most impressive temples.	Beheaded Buddha statues.	Small stupa of Wat Chai Wattanaram.
Ruins of Wat Chai Wattanaram.	Classic view of Wat Chai Wattanaram.	Ankor Wat style Wat Chai Wattanaram.
Scenery around Wat Chai Wattanaram.	Historical temple.	Postcard view of Wat Chai Wattanaram.
Middle stupa of the old temple.	Perfectly preserved temple.	Entrance to a modern Thai temple.
Phra Prang wat Kasatrathirat.	Phra Prang wat Kasatrathirat in Ayuthaya.	The gardens of Phra Prang wat Kasatrathirat.
View of Wat Phra Ram on Ayuthaya lake.	Scenery view of Wat Mahathat.	Buddha statue in Wat Mahathat.
Wat Mahathat in Ayuthaya.	View over Wat Mahathat.	Stupa's.
Leaning stupas of Wat Mahathat.	Ankor style temple.	One of the stupa's dotted around the area.
Statue of a sitting Buddha in Wat Yai Chai Mongkol.	Wat Yai Chai Mongkol.	The temple complex of Wat Yai Chai Mongkol.