Ayutthaya is the cultural city and ancient capital of Thailand. It is famous for ancient Buddhist temples and numerous archeological sites. The name "Ayutthaya" came from the city of Ayodhya in India which is the birth place of lord Rama. Ayutthaya Kingdom was founded by King U Thong in 1351. The city was completely destroyed by Burmese army in 1767. The ruins of the city is preserved and protected by Fine Arts Department of Thailand. It is a famous tourist and pilgrimage site in Thailand. The population of Ayutthaya was estimated to be 1000000 around 1700 AD making it the largest city of the world at that time. After the decline of Khemer empire in Cambodia, it becomes the new power center of this region. This blog is from my two days stay at Ayutthaya during my travel to Thailand. Two days is enough to completely explore Ayutthaya.
Visa and Travel requirements:
Visa: Thailand issues visa on arrival for 19 countries for tourism purposes. Also nationalities of 64 countries do not need a Visa to enter Thailand for tourism. Indians can obtain Visa on arrival at the designated port of entry. The visa fees is 2000 THB and should be paid by cash. Passport, return ticket, accommodation proof, 10000 THB cash (equivalent USD) is required to obtain visa on arrival. Currency: Thai baht is the currency used for all transaction in Thailand. International debit card (VISA, MasterCard) can be used to withdraw cashes from any ATM outlet in Thailand. However, extra 220 THB is charged for every transaction from the ATM excluding the bank charges. It is suggested to carry required cash in THB from the home country before traveling. Internet: Free Wifi is available at every hotels and also many places of the city. Also data SIM can be purchased from the airport at a price of 150 THB for 7 days. It is better to save offline google map of the destination places in the smart phone before traveling to Thailand. It is helpful to navigate using GPS with out internet during moving from one place to other.
The distance between Bangkok and Ayutthaya is 58 km and it takes approximately 2 hours to reach from Don Mueang station. Ayutthaya can also be reached from Hua Lamphong railaway station which is the central railway station convenient for those traveling from the city.
The trains are run by State Railway of Thailand. The trains are of good condition, clean and less crowded. The journey is very comfortable. The train can be used to travel any corner of Thailand if time is not a constraint.
Exploring Ayutthaya:
Accommodation: There are lots of hotels are available in Ayutthaya to stay. Hostel/dormitories are the best option for backpackers and lots of hostels are available through out the city. It is better to stay near the historical park so that maximum places can be explored in a walking distance. I had already booked a bed in All Sum hostel thought Hostel World and the hostel is at a distance of 1.2 km from Historical park. After getting fresh at the hostel, I started to explore the Ayutthaya on the same day of arriving at Ayutthaya. The famous destination in Ayutthaya is the Historical park which covers ruins of many ancient temples. The prominent monuments are covered in my 2 days stay at Ayutthaya which are described subsequently. The bast way to get around the city is to use rented bicycle which cost 50 baht for 24 hours.
Wat Mahathat:
This is the first thing that I have visited after reaching Ayutthaya. It is the most famous and prominent tourist attraction of Ayutthaya. Wat Mahathat (Temple of the Great Relic) is a Buddhist temple designated as world heritage site. It is said that from the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya, the temple was built during the reign of King Borommaracha I in 1374. Head of lord Buddha in the Pipal tree. This is the most attractive site of Ayutthaya.
The entry ticket for the monument is 50 Baht. The famous site inside the premise is the Lord Buddha head embedded in the pipal tree. This is most photographed location in Ayutthaya. The temple premises is filled with ruined ancient structures. There are lots of statue of Lord Buddha in broken condition scattered in the temple. Some of the statues are huge and in good conditioned. People used to offer daily prayer at these statues. After spending approximately 2 hours in the temple, I returned to my Hostel.
Chedi Phukhao Thong:
The next day morning, I started to visit many important monuments of Ayutthaya by bicycle. The first was Chedi Phukhao Thong. It is at a distance of 7 km from my hostel (All Sum hostel). The chedi was built by King Bayinnaung of Hongsawadi in 1569 after taking Ayutthaya into his control. This is a white color and 50 meter tall Buddhist tower. The monument of king Naresuan is located just in front of the Phukhao Thong. Naresuan the great or Sanphet II is one of the most revered monarchs of Thailand. He was the king of Ayutthaya Kingdom from 1590 to 1602. The monument is the Royal statue of king Naresuan riding on a horse. There is no entry ticket for the monument of king Naresuan and chedi Phukhao thong. The temple can be climbed upto half of the structure through the steep stairs. I climbed the chedi where the view of the rice field and surrounding area was beautiful. Monument of king Naresuan can also have a good view from the floor of the chedi. The Monument of King Naresuan the Great viewed from the chedi.
Phra Buddha Sai Yat:
After 4 km cycling from the Chedi Phukhao Thong, I reached Phra Buddha Sai Yat. This is a 37 meters long reclining Buddha just located infront of the ruins of Wat Lokayasutharam. The statue is an important attraction for the tourist and many devotees place offering in front of the statue. Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit:
It is approximately at a distance of 2.5 km form the Phra Buddha Sai Yat. The temple houses a huge statute of lord Buddha. It was built in 1538 in the reign of King Chairacha. Phra Mongkhon Bophit is one of the largest bronze statue of lord Buddha having a height of 12.5 m and base width of 9.5 m. The statue was covered with gold leaf in 1992 by the Mongkhon Bophit Foundation in celebration of the 60th birthday of H.M. Queen Sirikit. Wat Phra Si Sanphet:
Wat Phra Si Sanphet lies just right to the Phra Mongkhon Bophit. The entry fee for the monument is 50 baht. It was built in 1351 and was destroyed by Burmese army in 1767. The entire complex filled with ruins of the ancient structures. The three chedi (Buddhist tower) are the most attractive feature of the temple and these are the only structure which were being reconstructed. Floating Market:
Floating market is a nice place to visit in Ayutthaya and covers a vast area of 70 acres. The floating Market located at 65/12 Moo 7 which is at a distance of 4 km from Wat Mahathat and I traveled to the place in bicycle in the after noon after visiting Wat Phra Si Sanphet. It opens daily form 9 am to 6 pm. The entry fee for the floating market is 200 baht which includes a boat ride. A Boat Ride through the canal of the market has an unique experience and gives a beautiful view of the market place. The market has many food stalls, souvenir shops and traditional costumes. It provides delicious Thai food from each region of Thailand. I had a nice lunch in a restaurant with delicious food with coconut cake (25 baht), shrimp noddle ( 40 baht), fried chicken wing ( 60 baht) and coconut juice ( 20 baht). After the lunch, I went to the theater to watch the cultural show presenting the the Thai tradition. Wat Yai Chaimongkhon:
The monastery is a prominent Buddhist site in Ayutthaya. It was built by King U-Thong in 1357. It has a landmark architecture of tall chedi which is visible from a long distance. Visitors can climbed the step to enter the temple. The temple is also very famous for huge number of Buddha statues. The statue of reclining Buddha located in the temple complex has an impressive view. Night Market:
The night market of Ayutthaya is an important attraction for the tourist and is the best place for street food which covers fruits, meat, sea foods, traditional thai dishes etc. with affordable prices. The market is lined with one side of the street along Bang Lan Road which very close to Wat Mahathat. The market opens from 5 pm to 10 pm. I visited the market on both the days of my stay at Ayutthaya to have my dinner there. The crowd was mostly Thai with a good numbers of foreigners. Night Life:
Ayutthaya does not have much to offer in terms of night life. There are few bars in the Naresuan Soi 2 Rd (often referred as Farang Street) which is very close to the river and my accommodation. Planet earth, Chang house, moon cafe are the most visited bars by travelers in the city. These bars are the best place to hangout with fellow travelers. There are also many other bars scattered in the city. Grand street is also another place for night life experience in Ayutthaya and the place is at a distance of 5.5 km from the Wat Mahathat. Grand street is less visited by tourists due to its location.
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About me
Tapan Kumar Pradhan Post Doc Research Fellow PhD, IIT Kanpur http://tapankp.weebly.com Currency Conversion:
1 THB = 2.23 INR 1 US Dollar = 30.83 THB Thailand Visa:
Visa on Arrival: 2000 THB Visa rule may change with time List of Country do not require Visa: www.thaiembassy.com/thailand/changes-visa-exempt.php List of Country for Visa on Arrival: https://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand/visa-on-arrival.php Document for Visa on Arrival: Filled application form Passport Return ticket Accommodation proof 10000 THB cash |