Like the ancient capital of Hue in Vietnam, Ayutthaya preserves the golden past of the ancient capital that existed for more than 400 years from the mid-14th century to the second half of the 18th century.
Ayutthaya was built as the capital by King U Thong in 1350, King Ekatat was the last. After 33 kings and 7 dynasties, in 1767 the northern neighbor Myanmar invaded and destroyed the entire capital Ayutthaya. However, among the ruins, you can still see somewhere the magnificent shadow of the once prosperous ancient palace, one of the most prosperous in Southeast Asia.
At Bang Pa In Summer Palace, you will see the beauty like a watercolor painting with the image of the palace surrounded by a vast, poetic, peaceful lake. When entering here, all the worries and troubles of life seem to disappear.
With a harmonious combination of Eastern and Western architectural styles, the palace includes outstanding structures such as the Thai-style castle named Phra Thinang Aisawan Thippa-at; the two-story European-style building Phra Thinang Warophat Phiman. In addition, there is the Chinese-style architectural structure Phra Thinang Wehat Chamrun, the unique Statue Bridge with Greek architectural style.
You should not miss Wat Mahathat, although not the most beautiful temple, it is the most religious site in Thailand. In particular, the most interesting thing when visiting Wat Mahathat is that there is a Buddha statue face wrapped in tree roots, creating a vivid and strange picture.
Right next to Wat Mahathat is Ayutthaya Historical Park, a ruin with many temples, which is typical of this type of architecture is built with bare red bricks. The relic is located on the riverbank of the confluence of three rivers: Chao Phraya, Mae Nam Lop Buri and Pa Sak. Perhaps that is why Ayutthaya is remembered in the memory of many tourists as an oasis of riverside temples.
At its peak, which lasted for more than 400 years, Ayutthaya had more than 300 temples with glittering gold-plated towers and beautiful sculptures. But in 1765, the Burmese attacked the city and destroyed many of the magnificent structures, and the gold statues were melted down. Currently, in Ayutthaya Park, most of the Buddha statues here are headless, leaving only the ruins of the glorious past of the dynasty.
Riding an elephant to see the city in Ayutthaya is quite interesting, you should try the feeling of sitting on the back of an elephant swaying in the middle of the street, with cars passing by on both sides. The price for an elephant ride in Ayutthaya is 50 Baht per person for 15 minutes. At any time you can see several elephants walking around the ancient city of Ayutthaya.
You should also visit the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum, which houses most of the artifacts excavated from Wat Ratchaburana and other temples in Ayutthaya. The first floor has Buddha statues in various postures and ancient porcelain and bullets. The second floor displays collections of gold ornaments, coffins containing Buddha relics, carved wooden doors. There are also religious artifacts and artworks from the royal dynasties and traditional Thai houses in the central region and some daily items from the Rattanakosin period.
Wat Pananchoeng, located south of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, was built in 1324 and is also a must-see. The main Buddha image in the Vihara of the temple is called “Phrachao Pananchoeng” and was completed in 1334 BC.
This beautiful gilded stucco Buddha statue, 19 meters high in the Demon Conquering pose, is revered by many Ayutthaya people. The temple is open to visitors daily from 8:00 to 17:00.
Not as bustling and crowded with boats as the Cai Rang and Cai Be floating markets... in the natural river area of the Mekong Delta - Vietnam, Ayutthaya floating market is located on a canal, quite peaceful with boats selling fruits (grapefruit, mango, jackfruit...), or cakes wrapped in banana leaves... The goods here are mainly clothes, souvenir stalls, Thai dishes... attracting many visitors and shoppers.
You can book a table for yourself, your family or your loved ones on wooden boats that can accommodate about 50 people on the Chao Phraya River to enjoy a romantic dinner and admire the ancient relics or temples along both sides of the river.
