Ayutthaya is an ancient capital and modern city in the Central Plains of Thailand, 85 kms north of Bangkok. It was founded in 1350. Throughout the centuries, the ideal place between China, India and the Malay Archipelago made Ayutthaya the trading capital of Asia and even the world. By 1700 Ayutthaya had become the largest city in the world with a large population of approx 1 million.
Today, it gives a glimpse of the remains of the impressive city they must have seen. Its remains are visualized by the reliquary towers and big monasteries. The remains that left consist of temples and palaces, as those were the only buildings made of stone at that time. Ayutthaya’s cultural ruins was valued officially and recognized in 1991 when the Historic City became an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its proximity to Bangkok made it a popular day-trip destinations for travelers from Bangkok.
In comparison Ayutthaya is a relatively a low-key site. You can spend a leisurely day here, or a quick stop, all with relatively low pressure compared to many other tourist sites. From Ayutthaya you can take a hop skip and a jump and get on an expressway and be back in Bangkok in about an hour.
The confluence of three rivers makes Ayuttahaya an island: the Chao Phraya River, the Lopburi River and the Pa Sak River. The train station located at the east side off the island makes its compulsory for most visitors to cross the river by ferry boat. Navigating your way around the island is not particularly hard. U Thong Rd is a ring road that circumvents the island completely. The ruins of most temples can be found at the north-west of the island, while accommodation and nightlife is a beehive around the north-east. As non-Siamese peoples were not allowed to live inside the city walls, the sights from foreign nations can be found outside of the island and it is 76 kilometers north of Bangkok and boasts in different magnificent ruins. The ruins of Ayutthaya signifies that it was one of Southeast Asia's (and probably the world's) most prosperous cities in the 17th Century and beyond. The Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Historical Park, became a UNESCO World Heritage due to its vast stretch in the heart of Ayutthaya city, since December 13, 1991.
There were three palaces in Ayutthaya: Grand Palace, Chantharakasem Palace (the Front Palace) and Wang Lang (the Rear Palace). To add to these three palaces, there were many other palaces and buildings for some unforgettable visits situated outside Ayutthaya, such as the palace at Bang Pa-In and Nakhon Luang Building at Nakhon Luang. The island houses several temples and stupas which still partially exists such as Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Viharn Phra Mongkol Bopit,Wat Phra Mahathat,Wat Ratchaburana, Wat Thammikarat, Wat Suwan Dararam and many more which are within the island. There are a couple of museums that provides interesting historical study, Chantharakasem National Museum & Chao Sam Phraya National Museum.
