Reimains of the old
capital were in 1991 inscribed as the World Cultural and Natural
Heritage of the Humanity by UNESCO. However, the state doesn't care
much for it, in 2008 UNESCO threatened Thailand that they would
delete the place from the list. Guidebook advise to go to Sukhotai
which was once too a capital. However that town lies several hundred
miles from Bangkok, that's why we pragmatically decide to choose
Ayutthaya which lies much closer.
On the train first
surprise – we have tickets referred to „standee” and even
though there are seats free, a conductor tells us to stand. At the
train station in Bangkok a man at the cashier didn't warned us that
there weren't seats available, we could have chosen another train.
Not that I am week or delicate but standing for half an hour in a
stuffy trains is not the pleasanest thing. You have to be careful no
to stick to something. Earlier I saw such dirty and seedy trains only
in Poland.
On the way there we pass
the flooded areas between Bangkok (including Don Mueang airport) and
Ayutthaya. Everywhere there are dozens of pumps running at full speed
to keep up with pumping the water. During our stay the water still
flows from the upper areas to the Gulf of Thailand. Fortunately,
Ayutthaya was supposed to be completely drained at the time of our
journey, we read the news on the official website of the public
relations departmanet of the Thai government.
 |
| Remains of the past grandness have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List |
Good to know
*The best way to get from
Bangkok to Ayyuthaya is by traing. From Hualamphong train station
there are many connections. The journey takes one and a half hour. A
second-class ticket costs 20 THB per person.
*You can also get there by
bus. They go frequently from the North Terminal (Mochit Bus
Terminal). The journey takes about two hours.
 |
| Ferry to Ayutthaya center |
*To get to the center of
Ayutthaya, and farther to the most attractive for tourists places,
you need to take a ferry through the river, cost: 2 THB. Then you can
take a tuk-tuk (300 THB per hours), rent a bike (40-50 THB per day,
or go on foot – about 30 minutes.
*Entries to the complexes
cost 30 THB (each). We are lucky to visit them for free as the day we
go there is the King's Birthday (December 5 – remember the date!).
Attractions
*Ayutthaya Historical
Study Centre – daily 9.00-16.30; admission: 100 THB; models
presenting town's development, multimedia presentations, good
starting point before exploring the ruins
*there is a small lake
Phra Ram in the center and a park bearing the same name, around which
there are several most important temples; heading west from the pond
you can visit all the monuments
*Wat Phra Si Sanphet and
Wang Lang palace – temple build in the fourteenth century is one of
the best maintained monument in the town, of the palace only the
ruins remain; 8.30-17.30
*Wat Phra Mahathat – the
center of the holy city, built in the fourteens century; in ruins;
8.30-17.30
*Wat Ratchaburana – on
the opposite side of Phra Mahathat, the best preserved prang on the
island, from fifteenth century; 8.30-17.30
*Wiharn Phra Mongkon Bopit
– next to Wat Phra Si Sanphet, the temple with the most worshipped
Buddha image; Mon-Fri 8.30-16.30, Sat-Sun 8.30-17.30
*Wat Na Phra Meru (Phra
Mehn) – the best preserved temple; the only that survived the
destruction of the town; 8.30-16.30
After visiting several
complexed we decide that it's enough and it's time to return. We pass
through a local market and stop for a delicious lunch in the
restaurand just next to the ferry. At the train station it turns out
that the trains are delayed. We read earlier that because of the
flooding some delays may occur. We'll go two hours laters than
planned, on another train. And what about our tickets? They are valid
– a clerk at the counter tells us.
The journey continues
without interruption. The worst part starts when we arrive to
Bangkok. The train stops at every intersection and has to wait a
couple of minutes. It seems nothing but there are quite many
intersections here. Passing through the suburbs themselves took over
an hour! What a strange system. Moreover we don't know what's
happening because no one announces anything and even if they did we
wouldn't have understood a thing in Thai. But if other passengers
remain quiet, we also try to be calm...
More reading about traveling to Thailand:
Intro
Bangkok
Pattaya
Koh Samet
More reading about traveling to Thailand:
Intro
Bangkok
Pattaya
Koh Samet