The Historic City of Ayutthaya, founded in 1350, was the second capital city of the Siamese Kingdom. Before it was sacked in 1767 in the war with Burma, Ayutthaya was a global centre of diplomacy and trade as well as one of the world's largest and most cosmopolitan cities. Traders from India, Arabia and China lived together with Thais. At its height, Ayutthaya had a population of over 1 million people. Ayutthaya, home to over 500 Buddhist temples is still the spiritual centre of Thais.
It is also possible to travel between Ayutthaya and Bangkok by boat on the Chao Phraya River but we didn't try it this time. This is something I want to do next time. Ayutthaya is worth many more visits!
The Ancient City of Ayutthaya with all its remains is considered cultural property of outstanding universal value. The ancient city of Ayutthaya is listed as a World Heritage by UNESCO in 1991.
Temple name: Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon วัดใหญ่ชัยมงคล
Address: 40 Khlong Suan Phlu, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya 13000, Thailand
Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm
When Ayutthaya eventually fell to the Burmese in 1767, Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon was badly damaged and abandoned. It was only reestablished in the 1950s. The badly damaged temple was restored, so many of the stone statues today are replicas.
The original reclining Buddha statue at Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon was constructed during the reign of King Naresuan (1590 - 1605).
The reclining Buddha statue seen today is a replica that was made in 1965.
We climbed up the steps that lead up to a platform for bird's eye views of the temple complex.
Looking down from the top of the stairs, the ubosot (ordination hall) of Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon.
Roti sai mai shops and stalls are a common sight in Ayutthaya. This one is just outside Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon.
Temple name: Wat Mahathat
Address: Wat Mahathat, Naresuan Road, Tha Wasukri, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya 13000, Thailand
Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Wat Phra Mahathat was badly damaged by Burmese invaders in 1767, abandoned and never reestablished. Most of the Buddha statues have their heads missing, looted for art and antiquity "collectors".
It is uncertain how the Buddha head in the Bodhi tree came about. One theory is a looter abandoned the Buddha head under the Bodhi tree and its roots subsequently enveloped it and lifted it up over the years.
The sun was scorching so I came prepared with a cap, long sleeve golf shirt with UV protection, long pants and comfortable trekking shoes for lots of walking. (Bermudas are acceptable as long as they cover the knees.) As this is scared ground, do comply with any signs at the temples.
We stopped for lunch and enjoyed Ayutthaya's legendary giant river prawns. Ayutthaya giant river prawns have snowy white meat which is firmer than lobster meat. The crunchy, slightly sinewy meat has a delicately sweet flavour. The head is loaded with creamy head butter which is rich in umami savouriness. In my humble opinion, Ayutthaya giant river prawns taste better than any lobster that I've had so far. We had our lunch and giant river prawn at Sampaonava restaurant 👈 click
Temple name: Wat Phra Si Sanphet
Address: Tambon Pratuchai, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya 13000, Thailand
Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Temple name: Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit
Address: Naresuan Road, Pratu Chai Sub-district, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya 13000, Thailand
Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Vihara Phra Mongkhon Bophit is steps away south of Wat Phra Si Sanphet.
Vihara Phra Mongkhon Bophit which means the "Buddha of the Holy and Supremely Auspicious Reverence" was built in 1538 under King Chairacha (reign 1534 - 1547) at Wat Chi Chiang Sai.
Vihara Phra Mongkhon Bophit was ruined by Burmese troops during the sack of Ayutthaya in 1767. The Buddha statue was covered in gilded gold, so the Burmese set the temple on fire to melt the gold and carted it back to Burma.
King Chulalongkorn or King Rama V (reign 1868 - 1910) restored and reestablished Vihara Phra Mongkhon Bophit.
Temple name: Wat Chaiwatthanaram วัดไชยวัฒนาราม
Address: 8GVR+5PX, Tambon Ban Pom, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya 13000, Thailand
Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Our fifth temple and last for this day trip was Wat Chaiwatthanaram which means the "Temple of Long Reign and Glorious Era". Wat Chaiwatthanaram was built in 1630 by King Prasat Thong (reign 1629 - 1656) in honour of his mother. It was modelled after the Khmer Angkor Wat temple.
Wat Chaiwatthanaram is a royal temple. Religious ceremonies were held here - royal family members were cremated and their ashes kept here.
Inside the chapels, there are 1 or 2 sitting Buddha statues. These Buddha statues at Wat Chaiwatthanaram are among the best preserved original relics of Ayutthaya temples.
The parameter wall is surrounded by 120 Buddha statues. Sadly, all have their head and hands missing, looted by art and antiquity "collectors".
It is believed that the Burmese army was based here at Wat Chaiwatthanaram during the siege and destruction of Ayutthaya, and they had buttressed the parameter wall. The temple was abandoned and looted after the sack of Ayutthaya.
Wat Chaiwatthanaram is one of the most visited historic temples of Ayutthaya. Visitors can rent Ayutthaya era costumes from stalls near the temple for photo taking. Costume rental are now at Baht 100 per hour (May 2022 price).
Tourists join locals in the Ayutthaya costume craze thanks to the global popularity of Thai dramas such as "Love Destiny" which was filmed right here at Wat Chaiwatthanaram.
We had a fruitful day in Ayutthaya. Learned a lot about Thai history and tasted memorable dishes. We still had enough energy at the end of the day and went back to Bangkok for dinner in one of its famed night markets 😄 (More about that in this post 👈 click )
A temple tour of Ayutthaya is a must for devout Buddhists and history buffs visiting Bangkok.
Written by Tony Boey on 17 May 2022
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