Thailand – Ayutthaya

/ sharalynlovesanimals
Ayutthaya is an hour north of Bangkok. It is an easy day trip but I strongly encourage you to spend at least a couple of nights here. There is so much history and ruined temples, palaces to explore.

We left Bangkok from the Hua Lumpong Bangkok Train Station and headed north to the ancient capital of Ayutthaya.

Inside the train station waiting for the platform to be announced.
I was excited to see Dunkin Donuts!
This is second class on the train. Since it is very inexpensive to travel throughout Southeast Asia, I tried to get reservations in first class but it was booked. Thank goodness it wasn’t a long train ride – about an hour from Bangkok as there was no air conditioning for this car. Have I mentioned how hot and humid it was in September in Thailand??? The windows were down and we had……
ceiling fans for cooling. It wasn’t too bad but I would have preferred air condition in first class!
Leaving Bangkok, I took this picture as we passed by a community of homes built on the river. The houses were on top of one another.
These are the tuk-tuks in Ayutthaya. This style can only be found in this city. They kind of have a “Darth Vadar” look to them, don’t they? We took a tuk-tuk from the train station to the restaurant where we were staying in a room they rented out.

Ayutthaya or Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya was the ancient Thai capital for 417 years.  It was founded in 1350 by King U-Thong after the Thais were forced out of the North by their neighbors.  It became the trading capital of Asia as it was an excellent location between India, China, and the East Indies. It was considered the finest city by European merchants. There were 33 kings, from different dynasties, who ruled Thailand until the demise of  Ayutthaya 1767 by the invading Burmese army that sacked the city.

Ayutthaya is on an island surrounded by three rivers – the Chao Phraya River, the Lopburi River and the Pa Sak River. The historical park is on the island but there are several temples around the rivers that run the perimeter of the island.

This is our host, Niki in front of the Krua Ruaen Boran (Old City Kitchen) restaurant that she and her husband, Tom own. This is where we stayed while in Ayutthaya. It is one of our best memories on our whole trip!

David found the room that we stayed at in Ayutthaya on Airbnb.  It was advertised as a single room in the back of a family-owned restaurant.  It was located close to the Historical Park (a ten minute walk) and looked like a very interesting place to stay.  Plus, it was only $14 a night and that included breakfast!

What an amazing and wonderful experience it turned out to be.  The owners, Tom and Niki are amazing host and very, very interesting people!  We arrived as strangers but left as friends! 

Tom is Russian born but spent his teen-age years living in Switzerland where his mother was a diplomat for Russia.  Tom was always fascinated with the history and culture of the orient.  He pursued this interest by graduating with a master in Thai studies and shortly after graduation, he moved to Thailand.  His life journey took him to live in Canada for a brief stint and then Russia.  It was in Russia that he met Niki, a Thai national who was living and working there.  

They fell in love, married and eventually moved back to Thailand.  Although they own property in the southern part of Thailand, near the islands, they are living in Ayutthaya.  Niki runs the restaurant and Tom is very much an entrepreneur.  Since he speaks four languages – Russian, Thai, English and Lao and he is in high demand as an interpreter.  He teaches part-time at the University and is involved in exporting  coconut products.

They are such kind and delightful people who could not do enough to make our stay enjoyable.  Niki is a fantastic cook!  We ate all of our meals at their restaurant.  The last night, we even got a cooking class with her showing us how to make Pad Thai and wide noodles with sautéed vegetables.  Tom was always available to explain any questions we might have regarding customs and culture of Thai people, arranging tours and introducing us to interesting people from the town.  

Staying in back of the restaurant was sort of like a “homestay” as we really experienced how this Thai couple lived.  Our room was sufficient for the amount of time we were in it.  The bathroom was an experience…there was a small hole drilled in the bottom of the wall to allow water to drain from the shower.  It wasn’t covered with a screen and each night, there appeared a new “critter!”  The first night, it was a huge spider…I mean huge!  It was just a tad smaller than the size of my hand and that is no exaggeration.  The next night, was a toad/frog that I almost stepped on.  It was in the middle of the night, that I was heading to the bathroom and there was a dark rug on the floor.  That darn little guy was sitting on the corner of the rug.  Fortunately, the flashlight on my iPhone hit him enough that I spotted him before stepping on him!   The third night was a small salamander and a large cockroach that “buzzed” and moved it’s anteni while I was using the bathroom.  All of the critters were gone by the morning!  The day we left there was a large snail under the sink!  I found it all very entertaining and just part of the experience!

I really hope that the universe will provide an opportunity for our paths to cross with Tom and Niki.  If you are planning a stay in Ayutthaya and a single room with large twin beds would suit you, I encourage you to stay with them.  Tom has his establishment listed on TripAdvisor as KRB Family Restaurant with Private Accommodations and on AirBnb as Family Owned Restaurant with Private Accommodations.  Their restaurant is named Krua Ruaen Boran (Old City Kitchen). Tell them that Sharalyn sent you!!! 🙂

The room at Tom and Niki’s. It was very, very clean. The heat pump worked well and the room was very cool during the hot days and nights.
It was late by the time we arrived in Ayutthaya and got checked into our room. We walked down to the historical park to get better orientated. It was a 10 minute walk from where we were staying. We walked around the park for awhile until it started getting dark and we left. On our way back, we discovered the night market. It was mostly food booths. I imagine that the food was very tasty but I was hesitant to try anything for fear I might get sick and also, because of the language barrier, I didn’t want to eat anything with meat or chicken in it.
These are fried insects. I used to be very adventurous with food…now, not so much. We both passed on trying these!

As I said earlier, the city was attacked and razed by the Burmese army in 1767. The inhabitants were forced to flee. After this, the capital was moved to where the city of Bangkok is today. Today, Ayutthaya is a Unesco World Heritage site. There are several ruins of Bhuddist temples and palaces. We spent a couple of days going around to many of them.

A map showing the various temples and palaces in the historical part of Ayutthaya.

Here are some of the temples for the park in the center of Ayutthaya:

This is the park that is located in the center of the island, not far from where we stayed.

Wat Phra Si Sanphet

Wat Phra Si Sanphet was originally where King Rama I, King Rama I ordered his Royal Palace to be built in 1350. The palace was completed in 1351 and King Rama I made Ayuttahaya the capital of his kingdom. This was where the Royal family lived and no monks lived here.

In 1448, a new palace was built by King Borommatrailokkanat and he made the former palace a holy site. His son, King Rama II, had two chedis built. One was to house the ashes of his father King Borommatrailokkanat and the other was for his brother, King Borommatrailokkanat III. In 1529, another chedi was built by King Borommaracha IV.

Before this holy site was destroyed it was an impressive place. Today, the 3 Chedis are the only exisiting part of the temple that were not destroyed and have been reconstructed.

The three Chedis that have been restored at Wat Phra Si Sanphet.
The Chedis where the King’s ashes were placed.
This is a small Chedi that survived. I like the dog taking a siesta during the midday heat!
Some of the platforms where the halls were.

Wat Maha That

A model of the Wat Mahathat

This temple was constructed in 1374 during the reign of King Borom Rachathirat I.   

Collection of broken Buddha statues.

In 1384,  Ramesuan the nephew and successor of King Borom Rachathirat I, expanded the site to build a grand temple.

The Royal Vihana (Royal Sermon Hall)
The small Sermon Hall
I thought these chedis were interesting, especially the top of the one on the right.
Here is a close-up of the detail of the Chedi.

One of the unique features of these ruins is the Buddha head in the tree roots.  This head was once part of a sandstone Buddha statue that was constructed around the mid-1600s.  The head fell off the statue and was soon surrounded by the roots of a growing Bodhi tree.  This was a popular picture seen throughout the gift shops of Ayutthaya and on posters advertising the city.

Wat Phra Mongkhon Baphit  

This temple houses the large bronze-cast Buddha statue Phra Mongkhon Baphit.  Originally, it was enshrined outside of the Grand Palace.  King Songtham transferred the statue to its current location and built a Mondop over it.  The Mondop was damaged by fire from a lightening strike and the then reigning king, built a sanctuary over the Buddha.  Both the sanctuary and statue were badly damaged during the second fall of Ayutthaya.  There was a renovation to restore the statue and the building as it is today, but the current building does not have the elaborate craftsmanship as the original one had.  

Wat Phra Mongkhon Baphit
Phra Mongkhon Baphit is one of the largest bronze Buddha statues in Thailand.
These statues are partially covered with small gold leaf squares that can be purchased at the temple. According to my Thai friend there are a variety of reasons that people rub gold leaf on the Buddha statues. Gold is considered pure so putting it on the statue is giving back something pure and good thoughts. If the gold leaf is rubbed on the Buddha’s temple or forehead it is for good thoughts. If they rub it on the Buddha’s hand, then they believe that a good deed will come to them.

Wat Ratchaburano

I almost didn’t visit this temple but I am so very glad that I did. It was our last day in Ayutthaya when I finally went. David was tired of touring around, especially in the heat, so he opted to stay back in our air conditioned room. On the other hand, I had a ticket that allowed us to visit several temples and so I decided to take advantage of seeing as many as I could before we left. This temple turned out to be my favorite spot. I think it was because if was so very peaceful as there were very few tourist visiting when I was there.

The temple was built in 1424 by King Borommarachathirat II on the cremation site for his two brothers who had fought to their deaths in a duel to determine the successor to the throne after the death of their father, King Intharacha. Due to their death, their younger brother became king.

This is the Royal Sermon Hall that was built with brick and mortar.
The front of the Sermon Hall had three entrances with the middle one being larger which was the style for the late Ayutthaya Period.
The outside wall of the Sermon Hall. I walked along the wall to the stupa and this is what I saw inside….
A small dog resting….I really had to zoom for the picture as I didn’t want to scare him.
The prang is considered one of the largest in Thailand and used to store gold relics of the king. In 1957, it was broken into and several gold Bhudda statues and other gold artifacts were stolen. The culprits were arrested and some of the stolen items were recovered. Today, the remaining artifacts are on display in Chao Sam Phraya Museum.  On the other side of the prang, are stairs that allow visitors to enter the chambers where there are faded frescos, showing the early life of Buddha, from the Ayutthaya early period.
The prang is decorated with various mystical creatures. This is Garuda, the a protector, with power to go anywhere.

Wat Phra Ram

This was really the only temple that I didn’t visit while in Ayutthaya. It was however, the one temple I did get a photo of at night. It was really beautiful. It was built in 1369 and believed to have been extended in 1665-1685.

The main Prang with smaller Chedi.
Wat Phra Ram at night

River Cruise

One day, David and I took off on foot to explore the city of Ayutthaya away from the historic and touristy area. We passed through the shopping district that was a busy street lined with a variety of businesses.

We really enjoy walking in a new area as we are able to see things that we would most likely miss if we were in a tuk-tuk or taxi. For example, the street signs were interesting to me….very ornate!


Eventually, we came to the river and walked along it for awhile.

It was very busy with several barges transporting material.
This appeared to be the “water taxi” taking people from one side of the river to the other side. The two young children looked as though they had just arrived from a day at school and when the man got out, they got in to go across to what I assume was their home.

As we walked along, we came to a place that was offering boat rides. We had been walking quite a few hours in the heat of the day and thought it would be a nice way to cool off and see more life along the river.

We rode in this “long-tail boat.” These boats are called long-tail because of the long driveshaft so the propeller can be properly positioned to move the boat.

The ride lasted about 1 1/2 hours and was really nice to have a breeze to combat the heat and humidity. Plus, it was interesting to see the variety of homes….from apartment buildings to high-end homes to house boats and the several temples along the river. Here are some pictures of our trip:

Amongst the variety of temples we passed St Joseph’s Catholic Church. It was originally built in 1665-1666 by French missionaries but was destroyed during the Burmese attack in the 1767. The church was rebuilt starting in 1831 and finished in 1847.

Tour of the Temples by Tuk-Tuk

Tom, our host, arranged for us to take a full-day tour of the temples. Noi has been giving tours in his tuk-tuk for several years now. We visited several temples this day.

Noi and me after he had taken me around to see some of the temples at night on a separate tour. David didn’t feel like joining us!

Wat Phanan Choeng

This temple existed before Ayutthaya became a capital. It was built in 1324 and it is believed that the temple was connected to nearby settlements. One of these settlements was made up of approximately 200 refugees from the Song Dynasty China.

The highest building in the temple complex, the wihan, houses a 62 ft (19 meter) statue of a seated Bhudda. This statue is from 1334 and is believed to be a guardian for sailors. It has undergone several repairs but I find it truly amazing that this statue has survived for over 685 years! That is 442 years older than when the United States gained independence! WOW!

The Thais call this statue Luang Pho Tho and the Thai-Chinese call it Sam Pao Kong.
In 1407, Zheng He, a Chinese Muslim admiral visited the temple and bestowed gifts to the temple. It is an event remembered today by the descendents of the Chinese refugees.  
The columns on the veranda that surrounded the temple. They are made from tree trunks.
Rubbing gold leaf on a statue. In an earlier post, I explained that there are various reasons for putting gold leaf on the statue. The person is hoping that good will come to him or a person is having good thoughts, if it is put on the statue’s head.
On the side of the main temple, were smaller shrines. This is the laughing Buddha statue, a symbol of good luck, health, happiness, prosperity, and a long life! The stomach is rubbed for good luck, wealth, and prosperity.
My parting shot for this temple is this model of a ship made out of iron. I don’t know what it represents but thought the artwork was stunning.

Wat Thummikara

Although it is among ruins, this temple is currently an active monastery with some new, modern buildings near the ruins. It was an interesting mix of old and new. From research I have done, it is believed that this temple predates the founding of Ayutthaya which was in 1350.

Wat Thumikara is not one of the more famous temples in the area, but I really liked it. Unfortunately, many of the signs were just in Thai so much was lost as to understanding what we were looking at. Greeting us at the entrance were these two monkey figures.

I read that the monkey at Buddha temples in Asia represent many concepts. One is how easily humans can be distracted and move onto other thoughts and things. Monkeys also represent compassion, intelligence, understanding and are very social.
Just inside the gate were these two statues of turtles. Again, I don’t know their true purpose in this temple but in researching, turtles represent longevity and stability. On some tours, we learned that a dead turtle or statue of a turtle would be buried with one of the columns of a building in Asia for wishes of longevity for that building.
I am not 100% certain about this statue but I believe it is a replica of the Buddha statue that is currently in the Chao Sam Phraya Museum for safe keeping. The original statue dates back to King U-Thong (1350-1369) period.
I love the eyes on this statue. Some kind of green stone….the use of lions shows Khmer (Cambodian) influence which helps date this temple earlier than the founding of Ayutthaya.
We walked through these arbors to visit the Chedis, the Viharn or Sermon hall, and a whole lot of rooster statues!
The Chedis surrounded by lion statues.
Close-up of one of the lion statues.
The entrance to the Chedis with Naga statues – the protectors of Buddha.
The Royal Vihara (Royal Sermon Hall)
This is the Ubosot or the Ordination Hall that was recently restored in 1992. Just an example of a newer building among the ancient ruins.
This was one of the unique aspects of the temple! It was a shrine to Prince Naresuan who was also known as the Black Prince. His father, the King, was defeated by the invading Burmese army. The Burmese took Prince Naresuan, who was young at the time, back to live in Burma as insurance that his father, the King would not try to invade Burma. The king was left in Thailand to rule the country under Burmese rule.
After 6 years, the Black Prince and his brother returned to Ayutthaya where he eventually became ruler. Although I couldn’t find anything to confirm the story, the legend goes that King Naresuan declared Ayutthaya independent from Burma and challenged the ruler to a cock fight. If his rooster won, then Ayutthaya would be independent from Burma.

You guessed it! The King’s rooster won and Ayutthaya was free from Burmese rule. Today, people pay homage to the king by placing statues of roosters at any of his statues throughout Thailand.

Upon leaving the temple area, we passed these decaying boats with statues in one of them.

I am sorry to say, I have no idea what this is supposed to represent. I looked on the internet and couldn’t even find anyone else’s blog mentioning these statues. I am sharing the pictures with you because I thought it was all very interesting……maybe they are used to celebrate a holiday or something. It is such a shame that it is left to the elements and not under some kind of protection.

Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon

This was my second favorite temple. I loved the Buddhist statues that were lined against the wall of the temple and how they were drapped in lovely orange/yellow cloth. It made for quite a site.

Buddhist statues draped in yellow-orange cloths for good luck and blessings.
The statues completely lined the walls.

In 1357, this monastery was built by King U-Thong, the founder of the city of Ayutthaya. The monastery was named “Wat Pakaew” and became the primary seat for the Supreme Patriach of the forest sect of Buddhism .

A diagram of the temple area to give you a better understanding of the layout of the various buildings.

The large Chedi – Chedi Pra Chai Mongkhon – in the center of the temple area was built in 1592 by King Naresuan the Great as a tribute for the defeat over the invading Burma King Maha Uparacha.

Chedi Pra Chai Mongkhon
Walking to the entrance of the Chedi.
The view from the Chedi and the various buildings and statues on the temple ground.
A park behind the Chedi. I believe at one time there was a building in this area.
This photo is of the buildings where the monks live today and the Buddhist statues lining the wall.
Buddhist statues along the wall and ruins of ancient Chedi.
This is the statue of a reclining Buddha in the ruins of the ancient sermon hall or Viharn. The statues of the reclining Buddha represent the historical Buddha who was ill and waiting to enter parinirvana. Parinirvana is nirvana-after-death for one who has achieved nirvana – peace, enlightment, tranquility – in their lifetime.
Of course, I couldn’t leave this area without draping a statue with the cloth for luck and blessings!
They gave me safety pins to attach it with but I didn’t have much luck with the pins, so I decided to tie a knot.
My draped Buddha statue….I am so lucky and blessed. Of course, I felt that way long before I did this ritual! Just an effort in confirming my blessings and luck!

Odds and Ends

These were some interesting plants that we saw.
One of the more elaborate Buddha statues at the temple.
Finally, I have no idea what this represented but found it interesting and worthwhile to take a photo. The statues looked like the ones that were placed at the spirit houses found throughout Thailand to appease the good spirits and keep the bad spirits away.

Wat Chaiwatthanaram

The meaning of this temple is “Temple of the long reign and glorious era,” as it was built by King Prasat Thong in honor of his mother in 1630.

This model shows the center Prang which is 115 ft (35 meters) high. It is surrounded by four smaller prangs. Prangs originated in Khmer empire (now Cambodia). These towers are used as temples to worship Hindu and Buddhist gods.

There is much symbolism for the way this temple is laid out. The dominate prang represents Mount Meru – the center of the Buddhist universe. The four smaller prangs represent four island continents in the Buddhist belief. The rectangular walkway represents the iron mountain that surrounds the Buddhist world.

The center prang surrounded by four smaller prangs. Surrounding the prangs was an enclosed walkway with eight chedi-shaped chapels.
Here are two chapels with the prang behind it. In this photo, the center prang appears to be leaning. It is my photography and not the prang as you will note in the previous picture.
The walkways were lined with broken Buddha statues. This is a close-up of one of the chapels.
Inside, each chapel was decorated with Buddha statues and they were decorated with paint.
The outside of the chapels were decorated with reliefs depicting the various scenes from the life of Buddha.
These statues faced out towards the river with their backs to the main prang area. It is possible that, at one time, they might have been part of an assembly hall or Viharn.

Like most of the other temples in Ayutthaya, Wat Chaiwatthanaram suffered much damage when the Burmese attacked in 1767. After, it was deserted for many years. Over the years, looters helped themselves statues, sold bricks and other acts of vadalism. In 1987, the Department of Fine Arts started restoring the temple and in 1992, it was opened to the public. Restoration continues on it today.

Floating Markets

Floating markets have long been a Thai tradition. In earlier days, land around the rivers or waterways were where people settled. As you well know, water is necessary for survival. It made sense that people would settle near water in order to have easy access to it. As a means of transportation, people would travel in boats. They would bring their crops to barter or trade. Floating markets became the hub for communities. As roads and railways were built, people began to travel overland with their goods, rather than by boat. Over time, markets were moved to land, closed down or renovated.

Today, the few floating markets that remain, are more for tourist than for the Thai people. Unfortunately, David and I didn’t have very good luck in visiting one. The day that we went to Wat Tha Ka Rong Market, which got very good reviews, was closed. The market is only open on Saturday and Sunday, I believe. We walked around briefly but honestly, we didn’t see much. Nearby is a temple but we didn’t get to see it as our tour guide had an agenda. Here are a few pictures:

This was part of the entrance to the market. It had some kind of religious meaning but couldn’t find out exactly what it was. I just loved the colorful streamers hanging from the ceiling.
Another picture of the streamers.
This market had a walkway around the water. You can see the vendor’s boats in the water and in the background, you can see the empty booths. It looks like it might have been a busy place when it is opened.
Fairly crowded area!
In the center of this boat is a stove. I don’t know if the vendor sells food during the market or if it was for his own personal use.
I have no idea what this was used for but thought it was cute and picture-worthy!
These carp fish are a Thai craft that I wish I had been able to bring home with me as a souvenir. They are woven from fan plam fonds. It is believed that their origin came from Thai muslim spice traders, who sailed along the Chao Phraya River. The craft gained popularity with Thai people because they believe that carp fish bring prosperity. Over the years, people began to create mobiles out of them and hang them over a baby’s crib in hopes that it will bring the child good health and prosperity.  

The other floating market we visited was the Ayutthaya Floating Market. If, by chance, you are reading this blog post doing research for an upcoming trip, please DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY AND VISIT THIS FLOATING MARKET. The only reason we ended up there is because it was part of a tour we took. It was the worst and a complete tourist rip-off. There was nothing about a “floating market” at this place. To visit the market, we had to pay 100 Thai baht each (about $13.00 US), which included a boat tour and a traditional dance performance.

I thought that we needed the boat tour in order to see what the vendors were selling from their boats. This wasn’t the case at all. There are no vendors selling from boats. The “floating market” is a walkway built over the water with stalls where the vendors were selling souvenirs.

The boat ride was a 15 minute ride around the canal.

Once off the boat, we walked around the walkway and then left. The whole experience was just plain horrible and so not worth the money.

Then, to top it off, we walked across the street as we saw vendors selling there and thought that it might be a more authentic market. What a HUGE mistake that was as there were elephants chained in small pens who were being used for elephant rides. We even saw a baby elephant tied to its’ mother with a rope around each of their necks. Nine months later, I am still trying to get that sad, sad image out of my mind. After seeing that, we just left. Trust me, DO NOT GO…this is definitely one place you do not want to support.

Traditional Thai House

This is a traditional Thai house. The can vary slightly depending on the region and the size of the family. Most are built on stilts to avoid flooding during the rainy season as well as dirt, animals and even thieves.

View from the house.

The high ceilings, open windows, as well as the porch, helps with ventilation to give relief from the hot and humid temperatures.

This is the main room for family activities and eating.
In the corner was a small stove for cooking. This might be used to keep food warm as most often, the kitchen would be located outside of the house for safety reasons.
This is the bedroom. The bed was a bamboo mat or on the floor – which might explain why the mattresses in Thailand today are so darn hard!! During the day, the mats were rolled up to provide more living space.

In the past, the homes were constructed from wood or bamboo. Due to declining forest and increase in the city sizes, homes today are mostly constructed out of concrete. Life in Thailand has truly changed. The cities are getting more congested. To make more roads, canals are being filled in and homes are fairly nondescript due to the high-rise apartment buildings to accomodate the increasing population.

Cooking class

Our hostess, Niki, offered cooking classes at the restaurant. For the fun of it, I took a class to learn how to make the Thai Wide Noodle dish and Pad Thai…our two favorite dishes. I am surprised we didn’t turn into wide noodles!!

Niki and me.
Niki is a much better organized cook than I am. These were the ingredients for the wide noodle dish. Then again, this dish cooks very quickly so you really need to have the ingredients ready!
First, you add the wide noodles with some broth.
Next you stir quickly……
Niki had to take over because I wasn’t stirring fast enough.
Add eggs…
Then add the veggies and…..
Stir until cooked! Yummy!
This is making Pad Thai which I think is the most popular dish in Thailand. My photographer didn’t take as detailed photos as he did for the wide noodles dish.
Niki spooning the finished Pad Thai into a bowl, next tot the wide noodles. She is such a great cook! If in Ayutthaya…you must go and visit Tom and her at their restaurant….the Krua Ruaen Boran (Old City Kitchen). You could even take a cooking lesson from her!

Odds and Ends

My Birthday

While in Ayutthaya, I turned 64 on September 25th. That was the day that we walked to the river and took the ride. If I haven’t already mentioned it, it was a long walk!
On the way to the river, we stopped for lunch and ordered our favorite. Wide noodles with veggies and spring rolls.
That night, we celebrated with a small fruit cake that David was sweet enough to arrange….I know! I know! I am one of those “odd ducks” who likes fruit cake!

Tuk-tuks

The tuk-tuks in Ayutthaya were distinctly different from any other city we visited in Thailand.
The view from the back of a tuk-tuk where you sit.
This was another site from the back of our tuk-tuk. The kids saw my camera after I had taken the picture and started waving. Seeing several people on a motor scooter isn’t uncommon.

Just because:

While walking in the center of the town, I noticed these baskets in the trees with lights in them. I made it a point to return at night to get a picture of them lit up.
These sheep make me smile!
As did these duckies! I love duckies and have quite the rubber duckie collection.
Of course, I have to share the dogs! These dogs were at the Ayutthaya Tourism Center. They have a great exhibit at the tourism center explaining the history and culture of Ayutthaya.
This sweet guy was staying cool on the marble floor of a building near the river.
I had coffee one day at the Pine Cafe. I loved how they served it.

This just about wraps it up for Ayutthaya. I really encourage to to spend as much time as possible in this wonderful, historic city. Amazingly, my travel guide – Lonely Planet for Southeast Asia, did not cover this city. Such a shame!! It is definitely one of my favorite experiences from the eight weeks we spent in Southeast Asia. Next stop, Chiang Mai.

Until then, may you be filled with joy and sparkles!

One thought on “Thailand – Ayutthaya”

  1. What a great show. You did a wonderful job Sherry — I feel like I was there with you! No wonder you like to explore everything. Have a wonderful time each time you have a new adventure.

    Reply

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