Ayutthaya Temples & Bang Pa-In Palace Day Trip from Bangkok

Bang Pa-In Royal Palace

Bang Pa-In Royal Palace stands on an island in the Chao Phraya River, about 60 kilometres north of Bangkok and a short drive south of Ayutthaya. Kings of Ayutthaya first built a retreat here in the seventeenth century; it was abandoned after 1767 and rebuilt in the second half of the nineteenth century as a royal summer residence. The result is a charming mix of styles set among lakes, lawns and clipped hedges, some trimmed into the shape of elephants.

Highlights include the Aisawan Thiphya-Art, a golden Thai pavilion standing in the middle of a pond, a Chinese-style throne hall richly decorated with carved wood and porcelain, and a striped lookout tower with views over the grounds. Bang Pa-In Palace opening hours are usually from 08:00 to 16:00, and it is still used by the royal family, so the dress code is strict. Allow about an hour to stroll the gardens with your guide.

Ayutthaya Historical Park: the Old Capital of Siam

Founded in 1350 on an island ringed by the Chao Phraya, Pa Sak and Lopburi rivers, Ayutthaya was the capital of Siam for more than four centuries. In the seventeenth century it was one of the great trading cities of Asia, with merchants from China, Japan, Persia and Europe living in their own quarters along the river. In 1767 the city was sacked by a Burmese army and never rebuilt as a capital, leaving a vast field of brick temples and palaces.

Today the ruins form Ayutthaya Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. Is Ayutthaya worth visiting? For anyone curious about Thai history, absolutely: no other site near Bangkok shows the scale of the old kingdom so clearly. The drive from Bangkok takes about 1.5 hours, and the best time to visit Ayutthaya is during the cool, dry months from November to February.

Wat Chaiwatthanaram

Wat Chaiwatthanaram rises on the west bank of the Chao Phraya, just outside the old city island. Built in 1630, it was designed in the Khmer style, with a central prang about 35 metres tall standing on a raised platform and surrounded by four smaller prangs and a ring of chapels. The layout represents the Buddhist universe, with the central tower as the sacred mountain at its centre.

A covered gallery once linked the chapels, and rows of seated Buddha images, many now headless, still line the walls. The temple was restored in the late twentieth century and is among the most photogenic sights of Ayutthaya, especially when the brickwork glows in soft light. You spend about an hour here, with time for photos from the riverside lawns and an explanation of the temple's design from your guide.

Wat Phra Sri Sanphet

Wat Phra Sri Sanphet was the royal temple inside the grounds of the old palace, used only for royal ceremonies and never as a residence for monks. Its three great bell-shaped chedis, standing in a row, were built in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries to hold the ashes of kings. The silhouette of these chedis has become the symbol of Ayutthaya and appears on countless photos and postcards.

Its role as the palace temple made it the model for Wat Phra Kaew at the Grand Palace in Bangkok. A giant standing Buddha once covered in gold stood here until the city fell in 1767. Next door, the large Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit shelters one of the biggest bronze Buddha images in Thailand. Your guide shows you the old palace foundations and explains court life in the ancient capital.

Wat Mahathat and the Buddha Head in the Tree Roots

Wat Mahathat, founded in the late fourteenth century, was one of the most important monasteries of Ayutthaya and the seat of the supreme patriarch. Its central prang has collapsed, but the remaining towers, headless statues and brick foundations show how large the complex once was. The most famous sight is a sandstone Buddha head held tightly in the roots of a fig tree, which slowly grew around it after the city was abandoned.

This is one of the most photographed images in Thailand, and guards ask visitors to show respect: crouch or kneel so your head is lower than the Buddha's when you take a picture. You spend about 30 minutes here, the last temple stop of the day, before the drive back to Bangkok. A visit to Wat Mahathat is a quiet, moving end to an Ayutthaya temples tour.