Ayutthaya
UNESCO World Heritage Site: Historic City Of Ayutthaya (1991); Capital Of Siam From 1351 Until Its Destruction In 1767 · Ayutthaya, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
The ruined capital of the Siamese kingdom, about 80 km north of Bangkok, founded in 1351 by King U Thong on an island where the Chao Phraya, Pa Sak and Lopburi rivers meet. For four centuries it was one of the richest cities in Asia, trading with China, Japan, Persia and Europe, until a Burmese army besieged and sacked it in 1767, burning its palaces and melting the gold of its Buddhas. What survives is a vast field of brick and stucco ruins, protected as the Historic City of Ayutthaya on UNESCO's list since 1991. Wat Mahathat holds the famous stone Buddha head wrapped in the roots of a tree, Wat Phra Si Sanphet lines up three great chedis of the kings, and Wat Chaiwatthanaram by the river glows at sunset. Around them stand the crypt of Wat Ratchaburana, the huge reclining Buddha of Wat Lokayasutharam and the still-active temples of Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon and Wat Phanan Choeng. Visitors come by train from Bangkok, rent a bicycle or tuk-tuk, and should dodge the midday sun.
Ayutthaya Historical Park, Pratu Chai, Ayutthaya, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, 13000, Thailand
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: the main ruined temples of the historical park open daily from about 8 am to 5 or 6 pm, with last entry shortly before closing; some sites, including Wat Mahathat and Wat Phra Si Sanphet, have been lit and open into the evening at times, so check. Active temples open from early morning to about 5 pm. The Chao Sam Phraya National Museum is closed on some weekdays, usually Monday and Tuesday at last knowledge, and on public holidays; check. Bang Pa-In opens from about 8 am to 4 pm. Traps: arriving at noon in the hot season, sites closing before sunset, museum closing days, flooding in the late rainy season, and the last trains back to Bangkok.