The Ancient Temple Ruins of Ayutthaya

To wrap up our exciting stay in the Bangkok area, we took a train two hours from the city to spend a day in the former Siamese capital of Ayutthaya. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the historic area was originally built between the 14^th and 18^th centuries but were sacked and burned by the Burmese in 1767. The remaining archeological ruins of formerly beautiful palaces, temples, and monasteries drew us to the location, which destination serves as an easy day-trip from Bangkok and was a major filming location for the movie “Mortal Kombat.” This latter detail had our friend Nate pretty enthusiastic about the excursion.

Nate, Matt, and I enjoyed a curry breakfast near Bangkok’s central train station before purchasing 50 cent tickets and boarding our train to Ayutthaya. For this particular route, only 3^rd class trains are available and by the time we purchased our tickets only the “standee” option remained. We stood in the middle of a hot and humid compartment, gripping the overhead handles, and set off. Unfortunately, stomach cramps came for Matt during the two-hour journey. He was in a lot of pain, crouching down and trying to focus on reaching our destination. We surmise that the fried garlic chicken from the night before was the culprit, paired with a spicy breakfast that morning. When we arrived at Ayutthaya after what seemed like centuries (for Matt), Matt recovered at a relaxing café and sipped lemon iced tea while Nate and I sought out the first two temple sites on our own—Wat Ratburana and Wat Mahathat.

Wat Ratchaburana is the ruins of a Buddhist temple and surrounding sleeping quarters, welcoming halls, and other practical buildings that were constructed in 1424. The central “prang,” or tower-like spire, retains its original, impressive detail with carvings of Buddha and mythical creatures. Nate and I climbed up the spire and into the main temple which houses a crypt. Apparently there are faint frescoes inside, but we didn’t see them—we were too busy feeling the intense humidity and heat trapped inside the crypt. We walked around War Ratchaburana for about a half hour, marveling at the countless beheaded Buddha statues. We learned at the Jim Thompson house a few days prior that Buddha heads are often stolen by looters because gold is sometimes hidden inside.

The main prang and a stupa in Wat Ratchaburana.

View of the main prang through the ruins of another building in Wat Ratchapurana.

Next we explored Wat Mahathat, the remains of a palace and temple complex originally built in 1374. Similar to Wat Ratchaburana, ruins of pagodas, Buddhas, and old buildings were visible throughout the complex with limited signage indicating what everything was. The coolest part of Wat Mahathat is a huge Buddha head embedded in the roots of a Banyan tree. It speaks to the ancient nature of the area and is the most photographed spot in Ayutthaya.

An unusual sight: a Buddha head in the roots of a Banyan tree. 

Nate and I re-convened with Matt whose stomach much improved. We feasted on a delicious Thai lunch; Matt and I split vegetable fried rice served in a pineapple and a prawn and green bean salad with a panang curry dressing. One of my favorite meals in Thailand so far!

Fried rice served in a pineapple. Yum!

Prawns, eggs, and green beans made for a tasty Thai salad.

Before we caught the train back to Bangkok, the three of us braved the 100-degree heat to see Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit and Wat Phran Si Sanphet, two other top sights in Ayutthaya. Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit is a large, currently-active Buddhist sanctuary hall originally built in 1528. Its most well-known feature is one of Thailand’s largest bronze Buddha statues coated in gold. We removed our shoes before entering and circled the complex while many practicing Buddhists were praying and congregating in the religious space. Next we walked through Wat Phran Si Sanphet, which means “Temple of the Holy, Splendid Omniscient.” The area was the Royal Palace in the ancient capital and housed the grandest temple in the region. Unfortunately the remains are all ruins now so it’s difficult to imagine the grandeur. We were mainly impressed by the three Thai “chedis” or Buddhist stupas.

Large bronze and gold Buddha in Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit.

The three identical chedis in Wat Phran Si Sanphet.

We concluded our walking tour, hopped on a tuk-tuk to the Ayutthaya train station, and ventured back to Bangkok to rest and pack. Despite Matt’s illness and the intense heat, the day-trip was well worth the effort!