Ayutthaya

Wat Phra Si Sanphet Wat Lokayasutharam Wat Yai Chai-mongkol The Chedi of Queen Suriyothai Bang Pa-In Palace Registered as a World heritage Site in 1981, Ayutthaya is a must-see attraction outside Bangkok for all those visiting the city. A trip here will take you a full day, but we assure you that it is worth the time. Ayutthaya was the capital of the Kingdom of Thailand for 417 years from the time King Ramathibodi I founded the city and established his capital here in 1350AD. It stood as the centre of Thailand until 1767 when it was sacked by the Burmese army. After it was retaken by King Taksin later that year, it was decided to be too damaged to rebuild and the capital was moved down river to Thonburi and later across the river to Bangkok where the capital stands today. Today Ayutthaya holds some of the most important pieces of Thai history and it is a fascinating place to explore. We suggest you take a tour to see the ruins and temples here, but you could also reach here by rented car or by hiring a driver for the day. There is so much to see here that we can’t list every site, but we have detailed a few of the more interesting sites around the old capital. (back to top) Wat Phra Si Sanphet After founding the city in 1350AD, King Ramathibodi built the royal palace here, consisting of five royal halls, and was inhabited by the Royal Family for the next 98 years. Later, in 1448AD, King Borommatrailokanat ordered that the compound be made into a temple and it was named after his father, King Sam Phraya. Over the following years, pagodas (chedis) were built at the temple, housing the ashes of Royal Family members. Today you can still see these historical monuments to the monarchy when you visit. Because of its status as the Royal Temple, no monks lived here and it was used for royal ceremonies and rituals on auspicious days. When Ayutthaya was sacked in 1767AD, the gold leaf that had covered the temple was taken by the invaders but the remains still exude an awesome charm that reminds visitors of a great civilisation. (back to top)   Wat Lokayasutharam The most important image at Wat Lokayasutharam is the huge reclining Buddha. Named Phra Bhuddhasaiyart, the image is 37 metres long and eight metres high, facing to the east. It is constructed from bricks and cement in the style of the Middle Ayutthaya period, with its head resting on a lotus and its legs overlapping to show the equalised toes on its feet. (back to top)   Wat Yai Chai-mongkol Nearby Wat Lokayasutharam, Wat Yai Chai-mongkol is famous for its huge chedi that was constructed by King Naresuen to commemorate his defeat of the Burmese army in 1592. Although a victory, King Naresuen was infuriated he couldn’t have inflicted a worse defeat on his enemy due to his reinforcements arriving late to the battle. Having made up his mind to execute the officers in charge of the late arrivals, the head of this temple persuaded him to build chedis instead, thus sparing the lives of the latecomers. He built one at the site of his victory while another bigger one was constructed here and still stands today as one of the biggest chedis in Ayutthaya. (back to top)   The Chedi of Queen Suriyothai Built in memory of the wife of King Chakrapat, the Chedi of Queen Suriyothai is Ayutthaya’s monument love. In 1548, just seven months after King Chakrapat ascended to power, Ayutthaya was attacked by the Burmese. Riding into battle alongside his two sons, the King was unaware his Queen had dressed as a soldier and ridden out to battle with the rest of the army on an elephant to keep an eye on her family. Worried her husband would be hurt, Queen Suriyothai’s worst fears were realised when her husband’s elephant stumbled, giving the Burmese commander (General Brae) and opening to kill the Thai King. Acting quickly, Queen Suriyothai tried to intervene, but was stabbed to death while trying to save her husband. Her death was not in vain however as King Chakrapat survived and built this Chedi in her honour. (back to top)   Bang Pa-In Palace Also in Ayutthaya is the Bang Pa-In Palace. Today the palace is a majestic memorial to a long line of Thai Kings and Queens and is still used today for official functions. There has been a palace here since the Ayutthaya period when King Prasat Thong founded a monastery on the Bang Pa-In Island as well as his official residence. The Ayutthaya Chronicle records that the first building, the Aisawan Thiphayart Royal Residence, was constructed in 1632, the year the future King Narai was born. It is not known how long the palace stayed in use, but we do know that by 1807 when the Thai poet Sunthon Phu sailed past it was all just a distant memory. Later, the palace was revived by King Rama IV (1851-1868), who had a temporary residence here, but the palace you see today was largely built during the time of King Chulalongkorn (1868-1910). Take a walk around the gardens and buildings and you’ll get a good understanding of the respect the Thai Royal Family has had for other cultures, with many of the buildings being built in European and Chinese styles. Address: Bang Pa-In District, Ayutthaya Province, Thailand. Tel: +66 035 261 548. Opening hours: 8.30am-3.30pm daily. (back to top)