The Historic Ruins of Ayutthaya

Located about 70 kilometers North of Bangkok, the UNESCO Heritage site of the city of Ayutthaya is a must see if you are in the area. The 15 square kilometer site is full of ruins of the former capital of the Kingdom of Siam. The city served as the capital as well as a prosperous trading port from 1350 to 1767. It met its demise when the Burmese burned and plundered the area, cutting the heads from many Buddha statues and stripping the temples of their coveted gold.

The site is quite large, so when you decide to visit you will need water. There are many concession stands in the area and restaurants that cater to farang, however keep in mind it is a tourist area. If you are travelling on a budget, stop at a Tesco Lotus, Big C or Makro and pick up a pack of water the night before. Freeze the bottles if you can so they will thaw over the day. The open areas offer little shade and the temperature can easily climb to the mid 30's. There can be little to no breeze as well when you get around some of the structures.

Ayutthaya stretches across approx. 15 square kilometers. Each area has similar and unique ruins. I did find, as far as taking photographs wen't, the areas started to get repetitive. However I am fortunate enough to be able to have visited the site several times and since I travel the area on foot with my camera gear I was able to tackle a different part of the location on different trips. Other options to get around include renting a bicycle and of course taking a taxi. With all my gear I prefer to walk. Walking also allows me to get a perspective on the locations as I approach them so I can think about where I want to setup my tripod and take shots.

Above is a video walk through of some of the main sites at Ayutthaya. I went with my girlfriend Pang and that was really helpful not only for having company but for figuring out some of the rules of the area. If you watch the end of the video she and I climb a structure. Everywhere you go on the site there are signs saying not to climb. Then we came to a pyramid like structure that had stairs up 4 sides and there were no signs saying keep off or do not climb. Because she is Thai, I asked her what she thought and we agreed to give it a go. The plus about this is had we had an issue where security stepped in she would have been able to communicate clearly with the guards and explained we didn't see any signs or warnings to stay off the structure.

There are many broken Buddha statues all over the site. You will see them everywhere. They aren't just broken in some cases but scorched from the fires set back when the area was razed. Between the fire damage and years of weathering, flooding and other events that have happened at the site, it makes the area look a lot older than it actually is.

Above is a full slide show of most of the images I took while visiting the site. It shows all the burned out areas, crumbling structures and gives a real feel for what you will find in the area.

I do consider Ayutthaya to be a must see if you are in the Bangkok area. I would even recommend heading up there and spending a couple days in one of the many rooms they have available for rent at various hotels and home stays. It takes a considerable amount of time to see everything. If you don't spend enough time there you will certainly miss something. The first time I went I missed the giant Buddha laying on its side for example. When you go it is advisable to take an umbrella and wear sun block. I would not consider going to this area when it is or has been raining heavily as it is prone to flood. If you are on a budget you should bring water and snacks with you because you are going to pay a heavy markup for being in a tourist area.

Some other things to note is there is a floating market in the area. They charge 400 baht for foreigners to enter claiming its because there is a dance show and you get a free 2 minute boat ride down a creek. I don't recommend going in, you are paying money to go spend money at a market and that to me is just nuts regardless of what your budget is. The only difference between a floating market and a regular market is the vendors are on boats and prices are twice as much because they are paying higher rent.

There is also animal tourism in the area in the form of riding elephants. From what I witnessed the elephants are treated badly and are beaten. I crouched down to take a photo of a baby elephant and it ran from me in fear. I don't support attractions like this, I often consider taking the stick from the Thai trainer and seeing how he enjoys getting whipped in the face with it. That being said if elephants in chains are your thing, it is there for you to check out. Again the price is high, even to feed the elephants a bunch of bananas cost 100 baht and up.

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Happy travelling to Thailand and beyond! There are more interesting articles to come. Thanks for reading and showing your support.