Ayutthaya, Ruins Of A Siamese Royal Capital

Why a Visit to Ayutthaya

This visit to Ayutthaya came about when we decided to stick around Thailand for a week-long break that we had coming up. It was also a spot that lots of friends had suggested as a historically unique place in Thailand that we needed to check out.
We had done an AirBnB Experience working on a coconut farm early in the week, and then we finished the week in Ayutthaya. You need a few days to see and appreciate the city as there’s far more going on than just ruins.

There are always other reasons for travel, and when we visit ruins, we spend much of our time imagining and discussing what it must have looked like during its prime. What was it like with the people out and about….getting on with life, doing their thing? What were the paint colors, the clothing, the smells, the foods? I love to hunt artifacts, and I feel the same curiosity when I find pottery, tools, or arrowheads…I visualize how they went about their daily routines, wondering about being in their shoes. Then I silently thank and honor them for their contribution to my collection.

Cozy little station.

Professional!

We decided to include a train journey in our plans, which is always great fun, and a bit exciting. The trip was around 1-1/2 hours, and very inexpensive…… the trip back to Bangkok was around 30baht/ 1$ US. Frankly, I can hardly wait for the USA to get onto that bandwagon with the rest of the world.

Tuk Tuk’s

Arriving at the little train station in Ayutthaya we grabbed a Tuk Tuk to the cool hotel we had booked. We used these open-air cabs during our stay in the city, and they were very affordable, with no bickering on the price. They were smaller, with Songthaew bench seating and a bit of a different body style-wise from tuk-tuks in Bangkok…… still exhilarating to ride. Our friendly and thoughtful hotelier would order one for us whenever we needed it. Bikes are another great option I’ll talk about further along. There are plenty of accommodations in the city that will fit into any traveler’s budget, with some very inexpensive options. The homestays seem inviting and priced right, so we will try one soon and let you know.

Ayutthaya; Royal Siamese Capital City

Strategically situated on an island surrounded by three rivers and connected to the sea, and above the Gulf of Thailand‘s tidal bore, its location makes perfect sense when seeing it firsthand. Being above the tidal bore helped prevent attack from the sea, and also helped drain the city during monsoon season. The multiple klongs (canals) and lakes helped control the flooding…which is smart engineering and placement. Even so, flooding is a struggle they still have to this day.

The story of the city and the Ayutthaya Kingdom is fascinating, but I won’t delve too deeply into it. As they say, “It’s complicated.“ That said, here is my brief overview. It was certainly a powerhouse of Asia with 50,000 elephants and was the largest city in the world, with over a million residents c.1700. It was also known as the “Venice of the East “.

Lotus choked

The city was founded in 1351, although the site had been occupied for some time. Later it became known as a powerful maritime entity, in addition to being known for its beauty. It was destroyed in the Burmese-Siamese War (1765-1767).

The Ayutthaya Kingdom lasted for over 400 years (1351-1767) with five Dynasties and 33 kings, until the city’s destruction by the Burmese King Hsinbyushin. The Ayutthaya Kingdom and Burma had been at it for over two hundred years. The Burmese captured the city in 1569 but did not pillage it.

In 1767, after a 14-month siege, the Burmese tunneled under the city wall and set a large fire in the tunnel. This made the wall collapse, thus enabling entry for the looting and burning of the city. The destruction was almost total. It was never rebuilt as a Royal Capital city. Some of the ruins are just piles of brick and stone, some have no traces left, but many are mostly intact now, thanks to restoration efforts. The primarily brick-constructed city walls are also mostly gone, used in construction projects in the new capital….Bangkok.

In 1969 Thailand began renovations of the ruins under the guidance of the government’s Fine Arts department. It was declared a historical park in 1976 and was then declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.

Brick exposed in the foreground

Having toted tens of thousands of bricks myself as a mason laborer apprentice, I would think the city had hundreds of millions of bricks since that was the underlining bulk of the buildings, covered with stone or plaster. The enormity of it is simply amazing.

Three Days in the Historic City of Ayutthaya

We arrived at our lodging, The Krodyle Mindfulness House, and were warmly welcomed by the owners. It was a nice little setup. Open-air area dining, hammock, meditation hut, pretty gardens, and flowers..fridge with fresh juices, fruit, plus tea, coffee, etc. There was also a made-to-order breakfast in the morning. Everyone was friendly as per usual in Thailand. We were missing our dog, so the owner’s newish puppy was a real treat.

Lovely Hosts

Our room was well made out and was more than ample and cozy. The amount of teakwood and other beautiful woods used in Thailand lends itself well to the exotic and tropical feel and certainly conveys that effect here. Julie made good use of the meditation room each our morning and didn’t mess up her normal routine. The vibe of the place was tranquil, uber-relaxing, and comforting. It was surprisingly quiet as well.

Dining and Games

Meditation Room

Bikes were available at the Mindfulness House. We didn’t use them because we booked a bike tour for early the next morning. You could do an unguided bike tour. The tourist map has several routes that are well thought out, and there are QR codes at the sites so you can read information about what you are seeing. However, we like to delve a bit deeper. With a guide, we can ask questions and not have to speculate. We didn’t see everything by bike. A few ruins are farther than we wanted to ride, so the Tuk Tuks came in handy.

There was only breakfast at the Mindfulness House, but there is a great Night Market just a twenty-minute walk around the corner. We planned on visiting the night market for the following evening (actually the next two nights), so we found a place close by called the Eatory….had a nice meal, and called it a night for our early-ish bike tour in the am.

So What’s a Wat?

Fun things not to climb on, and never on Buddha.

Our tour took us to some of the most famous wats. Wats are Buddhist temples. “Wat” means “enclosure”. The word is borrowed from Sanskrit as is the case often when it comes to Buddhism. These enclosed Temples were the centers of community, education, and of course. religion. The enclosing walls were a dividing wall between the temple and the secular world. I’m sure they were spectacular during their day, as beautiful aesthetics defined the city, with lots of color and gold.

Models help visualize the past.

Bike Tour and Orientation

Bright and early our first morning, we headed for our bike tour meetup, and here I will comment on one issue here in Thailand…With the one-way and divided streets. That means you are often driven out of your way to access a U-turn, so you need to be sure that you give yourself time for those, and not wonder too much about why you seem to be going the wrong way at times. We were right on time but had to wait a bit for others. It was not a big deal as this country is not in a rush most of the time. The bikes were in good shape, and we were off, ironically pedaling right past our accommodations.

Load up.

Phet Fortress:

The first step was hopping on a little ferry across the river to our first stop at the Phet Fortress, or Diamond Fort. This was one of 16 forts along the city walls. It was the most important littoral fort with its location on a sharp bend in the river.

Keeping an eye out.

Still a busy river.

Wat Lokkayasutha (Reclining Buddha):

Just a short pedal brought us to ’The Temple of the Earth’. Often this 42m/138 ft long reclining Buddha is draped in yellow colored silk. Unfortunately not this morning. At some point in history, this figure was probably undercover and enclosed.

Reclining Buddha

Main Stupa or Chedi.

Wat Phra Si Sanphet (Temple of the Holy):

This temple was built on the site of the original royal palace and was the holiest of temples, as well as the most beautiful and grandest in the capital. The palace was finished in 1351 and was converted into holy grounds when a new palace was completed 100 years later in 1448.

Wat Mahathat:

We enjoyed this Wat and although it was a little busy it wasn’t crowded.…there’s room for everyone, and there were shady areas all over the grounds. This Wat is famous for a Buddha head intertwined in the roots of a Banyan (Ficus benghalensis) tree. These fig trees are all over Thailand and the tropics. The root systems are a thing of beauty to me.

Buddha Banyon

Backside Of Buddha Banyon.

Banyan wrapped.

Crossing the river on the ferry again, we wound our way back. We dropped our bikes off, promising our new friends we would be in touch if we ever find ourselves in their neck of the woods. (People we’ve met from around the world are now in our contacts from going on these sorts of small tours.) This was a great way to get a look at Ayutthaya Historical Park. A nice warm-up and orientation indeed….and since we went in the morning, it wasn’t a blistering hot cruise around the city so we didn’t have to jump into the river to cool down.

This Captain has been at her job for 25+ years…and has never needed the life-rings.

Bang Lan Night Market:

After getting back to our digs, we relaxed and cooled down in the pretty little garden. In the evening, we cleaned up and legged it the 20 minutes to grab some food at the night market.

And it starts.

To visit one of these markets is truly a taste of Thailand…not only the food but the atmosphere as well. There seems to be this feeling that everything is ok, with not a worry in the world when you are at these magical places. We’ve been to lots of them, and I have felt that at every one of them so far. The food is always delicious, the variety boggling and the prices certainly have a soft touch on your pocketbook. (Speaking of a “soft touch”, be wary of pickpockets at night markets, no matter where you are in the world. I’ve got a man purse that slings over my shoulder that I don’t go out without. An attempted pick in Kyiv was my reason to secure up. It feels good have my money secure.)

All of our food was delicious… we picked up some pineapple and mango sticky rice to share at breakfast. We were up early for the Tuk Tuk we had booked for the morning. We booked for 1/2 a day so we could take our time at the places we visited. The driver doesn’t care how long you take at a stop because they have their money for the morning.

Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon:

Although this Wat and Monastery is across the river, and a bit away from the center, our driver made quick work of it. Certainly within biking distance, but it’s nice not to start a long day sweating. The Monastery dates to c. 1357 and is a working monastery even today. If you are an early riser, this is the suggested Wat for sunrise in the park.

The grounds are a wonder, with statues of Buddha everywhere, many wrapped in bright yellow silk. It’s interesting to see all of the different postures and poses of the Buddha, as they each have an explicit meaning. There are four postures…reclining, sitting, standing, walking, and over 100 poses. Hand position is important…for example, the meditation Buddha has both hands in the lap face up with legs crossed. The Protection Buddha has a raised right hand with the other generally in the lap.

There are also 7 Buddha postures representing the days of the week. The day you were born is your pose and indicates something about your personality. Mine is Pang Samti for Thursday, which is a meditating Buddha. Julie’s is Pang Nak Prok for Saturday, which is a meditating Buddha with the snake-like Muchalinda’s hood protecting him.

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There also were signs scattered about. The 38 Blessings…some sage advice from Buddha. Number one, and my favorite is “Do not Associate with Fools”. If I follow that dogma I’ll have to stop talking to myself. Well, it’s been a good run!

Since it’s still an active monastery there’s much going on. We didn’t understand everything we saw at the time, but we learned later it was about honoring relatives.

Quarters

Laundry day.

Wat Ratchaburana: c1424

The ruins at this Wat are different as the Chedi or shrines surrounding the Wat are more in the Indian style. (As are many of the city’s foods.) Remember, this was once the largest city in the world, so outside influence shaped it, especially in its last 200 years.

Chao Sam Phraya National Museum:

In 1957 a group of thieves looted the Crypt at Phra Prang at Wat Ratchaburana and stole a large number of gold objects. After a crazed two days, all of the robbers were arrested and the looted objects recovered. The site was later excavated by the Fine Arts Department where more national treasures were discovered. There is a beautifully designed museum that houses it all now.

Wat Ratchaburana

Umbrella

Top Knot cover.

Golden decorations must have been dazzling.

Wat Phutthai Sawan: c.1353

On our way to the sunset Wat, we stopped by this one, unfortunately, it was closing up and we couldn’t enter. The exterior was cool though, so we’ll hit it again to see the interior on our next visit.

Wat Chaiwatthanaram: c.1630

Right on the river and again outside of the city center, this Wat is famous for its sunsets. There was no disappointment on our part. Next time we visit I’m thinking we’ll try a cruise and view it from the river. The site is illuminated after the park closes and I have a hunch that it’s spectacular to see.

The slowly sinking sun was the perfect closing for our visit to this remarkable ancient city…a true gem of Thailand. We hit the night market again on our ride home for more delicious street food. We had a great find with some pork dumplings we found…the best I’ve had.

Ayutthaya Breakdown:

Thailand has so many nooks and crannies that it’s always difficult to choose and pick what we want to see next. Ayutthaya is the Thai equivalent of Angkor Wat in Cambodia…which we’ll get to down the road a piece. From our great hosts at our lodging to the Tuk Tuk drivers who ferried us around the city, we certainly felt welcomed by everyone we met.

These ruins are a must-experience if you are exploring Thailand. This world heritage site shouldn’t be missed. You could do a hot (emphasis on hot) and busy one-day thing, but I would strongly suggest more time…at least two days minimum. We will return when we have visitors next. It is a place worth seeing, and I want to share this unique city and see more of it for myself.

And remember one giant To Do in most cities in Thailand…treat your dogs and get a foot massage. Go for the hour with the head and neck rub at the end. It will put you into a twilight unbelievable and happy up your wandering spirit. Just tell them your particular worry points and lean back into the lazy- boy, listen to them gossip and wish you knew Thai. Reflexology massage is a true treat and is around $10US. The massagers usually have enough English to make some interesting conversation. They are curious about where we are from and why we are here. Julie enjoys the way they giggle at me with my southern accent and silliness.

So pack your bags lightly and book a visit…You will not be sorry.

Please leave a comment or ask a question. I’d love to hear from you.

Safe Travels and Remember, Leave Slowly and Come Back Quickly!

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