Attractions information

Bang Pa In Palace

A summer palace designed for Thai monarchs during the 17th century, Bang Pa-In Palace has a charming collection of houses and pavilions.

There are a variety of Thai, Chinese, Italian & Victorian architectural styles surrounded by beautiful gardens as well as a lake with a magnificent sala in it.

Originally built by King Prasat Thong in 1632, Bang Pa-In Palace was abandoned after the sacking of Ayutthaya in 1767. The palace was partially restored by King Mongkut (Rama IV) in the 1850s and the restoration was completed by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V).

The gardens are wonderful and it's worth the stroll just to enjoy the scenery and the scents. There are plenty of trees which provide welcome relief from the heat of the morning sun & a brightly-painted lookout tower for those who are fit.

The beautiful pavilion of Phra Thinang Aisawan Thippa-At sitting in the middle of a lake has been designated as the archetype of the Thai pavilion or Sala Thai, a national symbol of Thailand. Built in the year 1876 it is the only Thai-style building in the palace.

Many consider this to be one of the finest buildings to be found anywhere in the Kingdom. The bronze statue standing in the middle represents King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in the uniform of a Field Marshal and was erected by his son King Vajiravudh (Rama VI).

Attractions information

Wat Mahathat Ayutthaya

Wat Mahathat was built in the early days of Ayutthaya in the late 14th century by King Borommaracha I.

The story goes that the king had a revelation, and relics of the Buddha then suddenly appeared. The temple was built to house the relics.

Wat Mahathat Ayutthaya was built in the early period in 1374. The main stupa is Pang shape made of laterite but in the later periods was resored with brick.

The construction of Wat Mahathat was begun during the reign of King Borommarachathirat I in 1374 A.D. but was completed during the reign of King Ramesuan (1388-1395 A.D.) When King Songtham (1610-1628 A.D.) was in power the main prang (Khmerstyle tower) collapsed. The restoration work on the prang was probably completed in the reign of King Prasatthong (1630-1655 A.D.) During the restoration the height of the prang was considerably increased.

Wat Mahathat was restored once again during the reign of King Borommakot (1732-1758 A.D.) when four porticos of the main prang were added. In 1767 A.D. when Ayutthaya was sacked the wat was burnt and has since then been in ruins.

It is most famous for the Buddha head trapped in the Bodhi Tree.

Attractions information

Wat Chaiwatthanaram

Wat Chaiwatthanaram is a Buddhist temple located within the ancient city of Ayutthaya, Thailand. Identified by cultural historians as the structure most emblematic of Buddhism's influence on Thai society, the temple was commissioned in 1630 by King Prasat Thong in the traditional Khmer style.

Wat Chaiwatthanaram was deserted and subject to decay and looting until 1987 when the Thai Department of Fine Arts began conserving the site. In 1991, it was designated a World Heritage Site.

Situated atop a rectangular platform, a 35-meter-high central prang (tower-like spire) is surrounded by four small prangs, which are in turn flanked by eight chedi (stupa)-shaped chapels that sit outside the platform perimeter. Originally, paintings decorated the interior walls of the chedis, and relief scenes depicting the life of the Buddha covered the exteriors. Buddha statues once populated the chedis and the outer walls of the temple, painted vividly in gold and black, but fragments are all that remain of these decorative elements.

Attractions information

Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon

Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon is situated in a part of the ancient city known as Ayodhya. It is widely believed that a Dvaravati (and Lopburi allied) settlement existed here before King U-Thong established Ayutthaya in 1351.

Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon has been built on a former important Khmer temple complex - taken also in account the large moat which represented for the Khmer, the oceans that surround the world. (1)

The ordination hall or ubosot lies east and in the front of the large chedi. The hall measures 16 m by 44 m and has been re-roofed to preserve it from further damage.

At the western side of the great chedi was a large vihara measuring 15 m by 39 m, nearly extending towards the outer boundary wall. In the area around the monastic structures we see more than twenty satellite chedis of various sizes which contain the ashes of former sponsors of this temple.