Ayutthaya on two wheels

See the subtler wonders of a bygone era without the expense, the crowds, the tour bus or even the elephants

Vipasai Niyamabha

The Nation

It’s little wonder that the roads of Siam’s old capital can actually get a little crowded when so many Bangkok residents head there for a cultural recharge.

Just an hour’s drive away, it’s a marvellous place to spend the weekend, with new things to discover on every visit.

Getting started

I’ve never taken the train to Ayutthaya, but many people do. The fare from Don Muang station is only Bt11, and from Hua Lamphong Bt20. Once there, a simple way to get around is to hire a bicycle for the day for Bt30 or a motorcycle for Bt200. Songtaew are also available at Bt300 per hour.

You can arrange your wheels at any of the rental booths around the railway station, but it might be better to wait until you’ve crossed the Pasak River to the Chao Prom Market. The price for the short ferry hop is Bt3 per passenger - but Bt2 extra if you’re bringing your bike.

So far you’ve spent at most Bt55, you’re in Ayutthaya’s main market and you’ve got transportation. Just heed the warnings about keeping your belongings safe - not where they might be snatched - and we’re on our way.

A circuit tour of the island

First-timers usually prefer to get straight to the heart of the historical park: the  impressive Phra Sri Sanphet, Mahathat and Rachaburana temples. All three charge entrance fees.

A more modest jaunt around the 12.5-kilometre U-Thong Road that rings the island historical park can be easily managed in a day, though the hot afternoon sun might tempt you to keep stopping for refreshments and other means of relief.

From the Chao Prom Market opposite the railway station, at the east end of the island, you can make your casual way to the Hua Ror Market and the Chandra Kasem Palace Museum opposite it.

The museum has its own historical importance as a former palace of the Ayutthaya kingdom and the residence of Crown Prince Naresuan. Abandoned in the sacking of the city by the Burmese in 1867, the palace was renovated during the reign of King Rama IV three decades later.

Nearby are Wat Sena Sanaram, a royal temple with “Rachaworaviharn” status and still home to monks, and the ruined Wat Khun Saen.

Further along are the mysterious ancient stones of Ratchapraditsathan Temple and, opposite, Wat Suwanndawas, with its stunning round chedi on an octagonal base.

Every corner of Ayutthaya has a story of its own to tell. This area was once a fort called Pratu Khao Pluak - “paddy gate” - next to a canal of the same name. Its chedis have been renovated by the government’s Fine Arts Department.

Few people give Wat Thammikarat, still further down the road, the attention it deserves. It has a reclining Buddha image inside a spacious hall, and elsewhere on the grounds fascinating architectural features, including the remains of a large chedi with a crooked spire, guarded by beautiful stucco  lions, and the huge principle hall with a tree growing against one wall.

When visitors return to the former capital they like to see something new, and for me this time I opted to bypass the lovely Wat Na Phra Meru and have a look at Cheong Tha Temple.

Surprisingly it’s quite photogenic, with the storied remnants of the principle hall and an ubosot tucked away behind small chedis. These are bedecked for an ordination with strands of colourful cloth.

Back across the bridge I stop at the Sri Suriyothai Pagoda, and then, finding myself halfway around the island, I picked up the pace and satisfied myself with brief glimpses at the rest of the sights.

Dining on the west side

The western part of the island has the lush Sri Sakharin Public Park, with loads of food stalls lining the road. Many motorists stop beneath the huge peacock flower trees and go for a stroll to buy some of the famous “Klong Sra Bua boat noodles”. They’re close enough to the genuine article, although Sra Bua canal and its waterborne vendors are actually some distance away.

A current favourite dish in Ayutthaya is shredded chicken noodles, and plenty of stalls keep up with the demand. Also increasingly popular is candyfloss roti - roti saimai - as is clear from the 20-odd stalls along U-Thong Road and in particularly in front of the hospital.

Riverside restaurants are abundant too in the area from Phet Fort to Wat Suwandaram, and all offer sunset dinner cruises.

Phet Fort at dusk is a pleasant place to laze by the riverbank. I just feel like resting here, not rushing back to return the bike. There’s only a short distance left to go, but this is the perfect time for gazing into the twilight with the old fortress on the Chao Phya as a backdrop, and savouring some of the spicy local somtam, the tastiest vegetarian dish around.

HOW TO GET THERE

Ayutthaya is well served by highways and main roads on all sides. Yet the easiest way to get there is by taking Highway 1 from Bangkok and then turning left into Road 32 which eventually connects with Road 309 leading to the heart of Ayutthaya.

Leaving Bangkok’s eastern suburbs, visitors take  the Eastern Ring Road 9 and then take the left turn into Highway 1 and the right turn into Road 32 that leads to Ayutthaya by way of Road 309.

WHERE TO STAY

Woraburi Ayodhaya Convention Resort

Tel: (035) 249 600-49, (02) 256 0890 ext 303-5

Visit: http://www.Woraburi.com

Price range: Bt2160-Bt11,700

Ayodhaya Riverside

Tel: (035) 234 873-7

Price range: Bt1,200-Bt2,500

Krungsri River Hotel

Tel: (035) 244 333

Visit: http://www.KrungsriRiver.com

Price range: Bt1,250-Bt5,000

Bann Khunpra

Tel: (035) 241 978

Visit: http://www.BannKunpra.com

Visit: welcome@bannkunpra.com

Price range: Bt250-Bt1,000

Uthong Inn

Tel: (035) 212 531-40, (035) 242 236

http://www.UthongInn.com

Price range: Bt1,200-Bt4,000

River View Place

Tel: (035) 241729-30

Price range: Bt1,500-Bt2,200

The Lima Place

Tel: (035) 801 808-10, (086) 889 2389

Visit: http://www.LimaPlace.com

E-mail: info@limaplace.com

Price range: Bt370-Bt800

Ayutthaya Thanee

Tel:(02) 673 3322, (02) 673 0966, (02) 211 9654

Price range: Bt950-Bt1,050

Suan Luang (inside Ratchabhat Institute)

Tel: (035) 245 537

Price range: Bt500-Bt600

WHERE TO EAT

(Downtown eateries)

Khoom Khun Muang (Thai)

Rojana Road

Tel: (035) 211 070

Khrua Khun Su (Thai)

Opposite Suan Sri Suriyothai

Tel: (035) 713 549, (089) 414 9282

Kuay Tiew Wat Yai (noodles)

Opposite Wat Yai

Tel: (035) 242 679

Khrua Ton Naam (Thai)

Uthong Road

Tel: (035) 252 514

Khrua Uthong (Thai, Vietnam)

Uthong Road,

Tel: (035) 321 729

Mangsawirat (vegetarian)

Klong Makamriang Road

Tel: (035) 243 423

Leka Bueng Phraram (Thai)

Pa Thon Road

Tel: (035) 321 746

(Riverside eateries)

Krathom Chao Phya (Thai)

Next to Phra Suriyothai Monument

Tel: (035) 398 200-1

Khrua Pom Phetch (Thai, Chinese)

Near Pom Phetch Fort

Tel: (035) 283 354

Khoom Krungsri (Thai)

About 500 metres from Suan Somdej Sri Nagarindra

Tel: (035) 211 676, (035) 210211

Chaai Naam (Thai, Chinese)

Uthong Road

Tel: (035) 252 201-3, 081 696 243-9

Sai Thong River (Thai)

Uthong Road, behind the governor’s residence

Tel: (035) 241 449, (035) 244 575

Baan Khun Phra (Thai)

Pa Thon Road

Tel: (035) 241 978, (081) 442 2742

Making merit by visiting nine Ayutthaya temples

Good fortune smiles on guests who spend time at historic wats

The Nation

There was a time when Thais travelled routinely between their homes and community temples. But then shopping malls, pubs and other seductive attractions sprang up to keep souls from the temple grounds.

However, it’s never too late to visit temples and attain peace with the Lord Buddha, according to Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Ayutthaya office. To you enrich your karma, the TAT has devised a “Visit Nine Temples” sightseeing-cum-merit-making programme that runs until January.

Ayutthaya’s TAT office recommends beginning at dawn with the area’s three most popular temples: Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon, Wat Phanan Choeng and Wat Mongkhonborphit.

Built in the 14th century, Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon stands beside with a chedi built by Ayutthaya’s King Naresuan to commemorate a military victory over the Burmese. And, like those ancient folks in Ayutthaya, you can count on this 700-year-old temple for supernatural protective power.

People seeking luck in trade and travel shouldn’t miss Wat Phanan Choeng. Built in 1324, where the Pasak and Chao Phya rivers join, the temple houses a respected Buddha image, Luang Pho To. Chinese traders, who braved the ocean to sail between their native land and Ayutthaya in the 14th century, believed that the image served as the guardian for travellers.

If a picture tells 1,000 words, the ruined brickwork of Ayutthaya’s historical sites tell 1,000 stories. Strolling from one temple to another is like travelling in a time warp.

With a beautiful blend of pleasure and pilgrimage, the “Visit Nine Temples” programme takes you beyond the three grandest temples to Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Chai Wattanaram, Wat Mahathat, Wat Na Phra Meru and two other temples.

It’s possible to visit all nine temples in one day. That might sound like an Olympic record, but Ayutthaya isn’t Athens. Siam’s old capital is smaller and so full of temples that it’s possible to do the entire circuit and still have spare time for side trips to local noodle shops and restaurants.