Ayutthaya
A capital burned in 1767 — the city moved on, the ruins stayed
- When to go
- October 27° · 18 rainy days
- Per day
- €price 1 of 5
- How many days
- 1days
- For you
- 6 questions →
- Nearest airport
- 49 km Don Mueang · 77 km Suvarnabhumi
- Right now
Ayutthaya was the capital of Siam for four centuries and one of the largest cities on earth, until a Burmese army burned it in 1767. It was never rebuilt — the city moved downriver and the ruins were left, so today you cycle around them in a day.
The island between three rivers holds a dozen temples within cycling range, and that is the right way to see it: bikes are hired near the station for very little, and the distances are such that walking loses you half a day. Tickets are per temple, with a combined ticket for several of the largest; the sums are small, and paid in cash.
The Buddha head caught in the roots of a fig tree, at Wat Mahathat, is the most photographed image in the whole historical park. How it got there is not certainly known — most likely it fell when the temple was destroyed and the tree grew around it. One rule is enforced: your head must be lower than the Buddha's, so you crouch for the photograph, and a guard will tell you if you have not.
From Bangkok the train from Krung Thep Aphiwat takes ninety minutes, or there are minibuses. Take the first departure: between eleven and three the heat is unshaded, and ruins have nowhere to put you.
What to see in Ayutthaya
Wat Mahathat
The Buddha head in the fig roots. Photographed from a crouch — your head must be lower than the Buddha's, and it is enforced.
Wat Chaiwatthanaram
A riverside complex with a central Khmer-style tower. Best just before sunset, when the brick turns red.
Wat Phra Si Sanphet
Three bell-shaped stupas in a row, on the site of the former royal palace. The symbol of the city and the postcard shot.
Wat Lokayasutharam
A 42-metre reclining Buddha in the open air, with no temple around it. Free, and almost always empty.
Cycling the island
Bikes hired near the station. Ten temples within range, and the only way not to spend the day walking.
The river loop by boat
A circuit around the island stopping at riverside temples. Ninety minutes, best in the late afternoon.
Two things you probably did not know
In the seventeenth century Ayutthaya had around a million inhabitants and was among the largest cities in the world. A Burmese army burned it in 1767, and the capital moved to where Bangkok stands today.
At Wat Mahathat a stone Buddha head is held in the roots of a fig tree. The head fell from a statue after the sacking, and the tree grew around it over two centuries.
Ready for Ayutthaya?
Within reach from here
Places sorted by straight-line distance from Ayutthaya — day trips or weekends.
Thailand
→Two coasts the monsoon never reaches at the same time, and a north seen through smoke in March
Vietnam
→A country sixteen hundred and fifty kilometres long, where north and south are never in season together
Japan
→A country where a train five minutes late hands the passenger a written delay certificate
All 277 places we write about sit on one page — narrow them down by continent, country, price or what you are travelling for.
Within reach from here: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Krabi
See how much of that actually suits you — or pin Ayutthaya if you have been.
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