Places To Check Out In Ayutthaya, Thailand, The Ancient Capital City

Ayutthaya is a popular day trip taken with many tourist coming from Bangkok as it is only about an hour and a half north of the city.

We recommend it only as a day trip however, since you'll be hard pressed to find a lot of attractions to keep you occupied! If you're a traveller who loves to slow down and watch the local life, a longer trip here will allow you to witness some of the raw local life in this once thriving city. 

A little bit of history of Ayutthaya:

It is a historic city founded c. 1350 and became the second Siamese capital after Sukhothai. It was destroyed by the Burmese in the 18th century which led to the move of the capital city to a more defensible site, now known as 'Krung Thep' to Thais and 'Bangkok' to most foreigners. The whole city was destroyed by fire except some structures which were made from stone survived. You'll find that there are many Wats (temples) around the city which have been put into ruins, but very lovely to walk around and see. 

Best places to visit if you're short on time:

If you're looking to make the most out of your day trip to the ancient capital, we recommend the following sites.

1. Wat Maha Tat 

Most famous for the Buddha head wrapped up in the tree. This is one of the more famous temples in the city because of this.

2. Wat Chaiwatthanaram

This is one of the most beautiful structure of the area and is quite jaw dropping

3. What Phra Is Sanphet

Some things to know when visiting Ayutthaya:

• Most of the temples and ruins will require an entrance fee of 50 Bahts as of 2019 for foreigners or 10 Bahts for Thai residents.
• Women will require to fully cover their bodies while entering temples, they means covering all body parts, long dresses/pants only and no shorts or ripped jeans. 
• Men will not be able to wear hats, shorts are ok but not too short. 
• No shoes allowed inside the temple, you will have to leave your shoes outside. Be sure to wear socks without holes! 
• Do not climb on any of the structures! There are Thai police circling the areas to enforce this, you WILL BE arrested and fined if you decide not to heed this warning.
• Respect all Buddha images and sculptures