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Ayutthaya Travel Guide :
| UNESCO has declared Ayutthaya as a World Heritage Site. There are numerous popular Buddhist shrines, temples and monasteries in Ayutthaya. Prominent among these include Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon, Wat Suwandararam Ratchaworawihan, Wat Suan Luang Sopsawan, Wat Phra Mahathat and Wat Ratburana. Another famous tourist destination is the Thai Boat Museum, which has a large and impressive collection of Thai and Chinese boats and liners made of teak. Suan Somdet is a public park that contains several archeological ruins and plant species that have reference in ancient Thai Literature. More... |
Bang Pa-In Palace
 The famous Bang Pa-In Palace is not really located in the heart of Ayutthaya city. However, it worth the time and effort it takes to get their. Bang Pa-In is not just a palace; it is a collection of different buildings that were constructed in different eras and in different architectural styles. But the palace is beautiful and the lake surrounding it gives it a very regal and scenic look.
The history of Bang Pa-In Palace dates back to the 17th century. According to historians who have been studying the Ayutthaya period, King Prasat Thong was instrumental in getting a palace constructed on Bang Pa-In Island, which is situated in Chao Phraya River. Jeremias van Vliet, a Dutch merchant, had stated that King Prasat Thong was the illegitimate son of King Ekathotsarot. Vliet reported that King Ekathotsarot was shipwrecked on an island when he was young and had a son by a woman who befriended him. The boy grew up to become the Chief Minister. After grabbing the throne, the boy became known as King Prasat Thong.
After becoming the king, King Prasat Thong founded a monastery called Wat Chumphon Nikayaram on Bang Pa-In Island on the land belonging to his mother. Then he had a pond dug out and built a palace, which was located south of the monastery. According to records, only one building, Aisawan Thiphaya Art Royal Residence, has a name and this building was constructed in 1632, the year King Prasat Thong’s son, the future King Narai, was born. More...
Phra Chedi Si Suriyothai
Phra Chedi Si Suriyothai is a distinctive looking building. It has a white and gold chedi built in remembrance of Phra Si Suriyothai, the royal consort of Phra Mahachakkraphat. The memorial is located in Ko Mueang and is housed within the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Historical Park. This memorial is a testament of how important Thai women were in the ancient Siamese society.
7 months afte Phra Mahachakkraphat was crowned king, he was forced to go and protect his kingdom in 1548 against Phrachao Tabeng Chaweti and his warlord, Burengnong. The Burmese army managed to find its way into the Ayutthaya through the Three Pagoda Pass in Kanchanaburi and set up military camps around the compound of the royal palace. When fighting the Burmese army on an elephant back, Phra Mahachakkraphat was in danger and his wife Phra Si Suriyothai, dressed as a warrior, came to give assistance to her husband. Unfortunately, she rode her elephant in the way of a Burmese commander who killed her with his sword. More..
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