Ayutthaya: The Ancient City

Ayutthaya, full name Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya is the fabled city as well as the fallen city located 85 kilometers north of Bangkok. Ayutthaya is the ancient city of Siam before re-establishing their center at present-day Bangkok after they have fallen from the war with the Burmese. This city is rich in Thai history with beautiful and equally stunning temples!

Ayutthaya Day Tour!

Tour Fee:                   750 Baht (600 Baht for Ayutthaya + 150 Baht for Bang Pa-In)

Duration:                    Full Day Tour

Attraction & Sites:      Wat Phu Khao Thong, Wat Lokaya Suttha, Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Yai Chai Mongkol, Wat Mahathat and Bang Pa-In Summer Palace.

Interesting Fact: Throughout the centuries, Ayutthaya is the trading capital of Asia and even the world. By 1700 Ayutthaya had become the largest city in the world with a total of 1 million inhabitants. Many international merchants set sail for Ayutthaya, from diverse regions as the Arab world, China, India, Japan, Portugal, the Netherlands and France. Merchants from Europe proclaimed Ayutthaya as the finest city they had ever seen. All this came to a quick end when the Burmese invaded Ayutthaya in 1767 and almost completely burnt the city down to the ground. The great cultural value of Ayutthaya’s ruins was officially recognized in 1991, when the Historic City became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Wikipedia, 2014)

Meeting New Friends

At 7:00 o’clock in the morning, the van for the Ayutthaya Day Tour picked me up at my reserved accommodation at NapPark Hostel. There were 10 other tourist in the van with me, plus the guide and the driver. We were headed to Ayutthaya and the guide told us that the trip takes about 1 hour. Since I slept early last night, I just decided to watch You Who Came from the Stars & Running Man from my phone (both are Korean Shows). Little did I know that the couple seated behind me is Korean.

Upon reaching our first stop, the Korean couple approached me and asked me if I am also a Korean. Since they asked me using their language, I did not know what to answer and just gave them a mong (Korean word for blank) stare. So they asked me again in English to which I answered no. They told me that they saw me watching the latest Korean drama series and they were wondering if I am from Korea (I was flattered since I am a trying-hard-wanna-be Korean, LOL!). And that started my friendship with them.

Learning New Things 

Wat Phu Khao Thong

Main attraction at Wat Phu Khao Thong

Our conversation was cut short when the guide started to tell us about the temple we were in. The first stop was Wat Phu Khao Thong, an impressive and huge white, and slightly wonky, chedi set in a big field. You can climb to the top for extensive views over the countryside surrounding Ayutthaya, although the modern town and power lines obscure much of the historic city on the horizon.

The actual nearby temple is still working and has small grounds with a smiling fat buddha image set in the ruins of a small viharn.    

Wat Lokaya Suttha

Wat Lokaya Suttha, behind is the reclining Buddha!

The second stop of our Ayutthaya Day Tour was Wat Lokaya Suttha, somewhere near Wat Phu Khao Thong. There was an old and faded looking reclining Buddha and a small chedi around the complex. Since the sun is already at its peak, I made my tour around it very fast. I took a few picture here and there and went back to the air conditioned van.

 Wat Yai Chai Mongkol

Wat Yai Chai Mongkol

After spending 30 minutes at Wat Lokaya Suttha we went to Wat Yai Chai Mongkol. Located southeast of Ayutthaya across the Pridithamrong Bridge, this temple is a popular destination for both tourists and worshippers alike. It is has an impressive building that houses a large bronze cast Buddha image.

Although the grand chedi at Wat Yai Chai Mongkol is held sacred by the monks who still live and worship there, visitors are permitted to enter during the day.

Wat Maha That

Ruins of Wat Maha That

The next stop was Wat Maha That, a large temple that was quite thoroughly ransacked by the Burmese.

Headless Buddhas from Wat Maha That

Several leaning prangs and the rows of headless Buddhas are interesting to look at, giving you a short impression of what has transpired during the war.

More headless Buddhas from Wat Maha That

This is also where you can spot the famous tree that has grown around a Buddha head. When taking pictures of you and the Buddha head, make sure you kneel to show respect, as it is considered holy by the Thais.

The time went by fast and I was surprised when our guide told us that we will be having our lunch. The lunch was included in the 750 Baht tour fee except for the drinks. The lunch served was sauted vegetables and sweet and sour pork with unlimited rice. It was enough to replenish the lost energy and strength during the first part of the tour.

Wat Phra Si Sanphet

Ruins of Wat Phra Si Sanphet part of the previous Siam's Royal Palace

After an hour of eating and resting, we continued our tour and went to the final stop for the Ayutthaya Day Tour – Wat Phra Si Sanphet. The largest temple in Ayutthaya, known for its distinctive row of restored chedis (Thai-style stupas) found on many images of the city. Housed within the grounds of the former royal palace, the temple was used only for royal religious ceremonies.

Interesting fact: It once housed a 16 m high Buddha covered with 340 kg of gold, but the Burmese set fire to the statue to melt the gold and destroyed the temple in the process.

Here visitors can take a ride on an elephant, or watch a monkey show; there are also shops and restaurants located in one large covered market. A barbeque stand is located somewhere near where the elephants are held. I ordered two servings of chicken wings and one pork barbecue in a stick. It was really delicious and mouthwatering, so I ordered another two stick of pork barbecue and a chicken wing. If you are planning to visit Wat Phra Si Sanphet, look for this barbecue stand. I highly recommend it!

After spending one and a half hour of tour and photo-op around the Temple, the guide informed us that this is the end of the tour for those who only paid 600 Baht. They were directed to a different van. Sadly though my new found friends from Korea only availed of the 600 Baht Tour and are heading back to Bangkok.

As for me, I was joined by other tourists from another van and we were headed to Bang Pa-In Summer Royal Palace.