In Pictures: Ayutthaya

By Kin Enriquez -

For this week's In Pictures we go to Ayutthaya, an ancient city that was once the capital of Siam. We visited the city and the ruins during the food tour of Bangkok. It is about 76 kilometers from the Thai capital.

Tourists walking along the ruins
Located in a fertile floodplain at the banks of Chao Phraya river, Ayutthaya became a powerful kingdom in the 15th century, and reached its golden age in the 18th century. Wars and dynastic struggle contributed to its decline years later.

Phrangs of the ancient temples
A hawker sells some food to the locals

Today it is a bustling city as well as the location of a UNESCO World Heritage site. The ruins were what's left of the ancient city after it was overrun by the Burmese. Within the ruins are several Buddhist temples, or wats, a grim testament to the brutal destruction of the city. 

Aside from the ancient temples and the statues of Buddha, we also visited the floating market, and I took the time to ride an elephant. 


Wat Chaiwatthanaram
How to get there: by train, take one from Bangkok's Hualampong station to Ayutthaya. By bus, take one originating from Mo Chit bus station. It will take 1-2 hours of travel to get to the park. Full trip report here.

 Useful Info: 50 baht park fee is collected from foreigners


The reclining Buddha in Wat Lokayasutharam 

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