Ayutthaya trip: The forgotten city that used to be the largest in the world

This is a story of the lost imperial capital Ayutthaya: a city which was arguably the largest city in the world in the 1700s with a population of around 1 million as the capital of what was then called Siam. At that time, New York had only 4,937 residents and even London, one of the most developed cities in Europe only had about 600,000 residents. Its location in the middle between China, Malaysia, and Indonesia also made Ayutthaya a trading capital of Asia. However, after the Burmese attacks in the 18th century, the city was almost completely burned to the ground. Today Ayutthaya is a small city in Thailand with remnants of the great ancient capital that allow you to take a glimpse at the past. The city is very close to Bangkok, and it’s very easy to make a one-day Ayutthaya trip if you’re in Bangkok.

Ayutthaya trip: Getting there

It was a beautiful sunny morning. My cab just dropped me at Hua Lamphong Train Station. I walked to the ticket counter to a very friendly teller. The price for the ticket was only 20 baht (around $0.5). The trip just kept getting better. That one-day field trip actually only cost me only $5 USD. And it was an amazing experience! I took my ticket that didn’t have a specified class, which meant that you get to ride in the third class. That implies no AC and plastic seats, which aren’t the most comfortable seats in the world. Anyway, I never had a problem with the travelling conditions, as I’ve seen much worse and much better. I was happy to experience travelling in Thailand like a local, in the cheapest class.

The old train that was supposed to leave at 8:30 finally said goodbye to the train station an hour later. I was a bit frustrated that I’m wasting my time when I only have one day to spend at Ayutthaya. That was one of the first (and many to come) patience tests that Asia put me through. Sometimes you just need to let go the things that are frustrating you but are out of your control. I know that’s easier said than done, but Asia was a great mentor that made me actually start applying that in my life.

Around 10 rolling fields and a couple of provincial cities later, I saw the conductor entering the wagon just to tell me that we’re approaching Ayutthaya. That was a really amazing guest, as I was the only tourist riding in the third class. It’s people like that conductor and their simple gestures that make you feel you’re never alone even when you’re travelling solo.

What to do after arriving?

Well, looking back I think it would be a good idea to rent a bicycle. I didn’t do that and I walked the entire city on foot. Understandably, that can get really difficult when the weather is hot and humid. And that day was exactly that, hot and f*ing humid. The weather in the morning was nice, but by mid-day, I was cursing myself for not renting a bicycle at the train station. The price was only $1-$2 USD for the whole day.

I just stormed out of the train station, already upset because the train was late, just passing by the group the group of tuk-tuk drivers that was generously offering to rip me off for a ride through the city. I walked all day, but I made sure I don’t miss out on anything. The ancient city is around 3–4 km away from the train station, but once you reach there, most of the famous sights are located within a 3km radius. There are temples on the other side of the city as well. I visited those too, walking again. So if you think you’re in a really good shape, you can walk and see everything in the city. But it’s a nuisance walking in the humidity, so I’d recommend the bicycle rent as the best option.

Temples you must see in Ayutthaya

If you’ve been travelling around Asia, you probably are getting sick of temples, which was exactly my case. I don’t know if it’s because of the low expectations which I had, but Ayutthaya really impressed me. I can say I enjoyed every minute in the ancient city and there are some places in Ayutthaya every traveller should see.

The most amazing thing about Ayutthaya was the way history and real-life intermingle here. Let’s say you’re in an ancient temple, like the ones you see in an Indiana Jones movie. All you need to do is turn your head to the right and you will see a 7/11. It was funny at the beginning, but it became fascinating after some time.

Wat Ratchaburana

The first place I visited was Wat Ratchaburana. Yeah, good luck trying to pronounce that. Not only does this temple have a breathtaking architecture, but it also has an interesting history. It was built in the 15th century as a cremation site for the two royal brothers who died fighting each other for the throne. This monument was also robbed in the 1950s when looters took out several valuable items. This leads me to the second most amazing things about Ayutthaya. Even after the robberies, I still didn’t see any security guards that were guarding the monuments!

Wat Mahathat

This monument contains one of the most photographed places in the world. That’s a giant Buddha head just sitting there in the middle of nowhere. Even though you can’t say that by looking the pictures, the head is enormous in real life. The most reasonable explanation that’s widely accepted is that when the city was under attack, thieves attempted to still the head from one of the temples, but they couldn’t carry it because it was too hard, so they just left it.

Wat Phra Si Sanphet

I think that this one was the largest temple in Ayutthaya. This is what’s left from the royal palace. The 3 distinctive stupas make an amazing postcard image of Ayutthaya as this is one of its most beautiful ruins. I can only imagine how this palace looked like in the 17th century since its ruins still wow tourists from around the world 5 centuries after the fall of the city. It used to be even better, as there was a 52 feet tall Golden Buddha in front of the palace. It’s even hard to imagine that! That monument was ruined just like many other things when the Burmese burned down the city.

Wat Chai Watthanaram

This temple is located out of the complex on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River and is my personal favourite. This is a beautiful temple complex to explore. It was built in the 17th century and it is a lot newer as the other temples in the historical park.

Wat Yai Chai Mang Khon

The last or first stop, depending on where do you start your tour. This temple looks like it literally came out of a movie with all its towering stupa, golden statues and rows of Buddhas in saffron robes.

Few thoughts for the end

As you could see from my pictures, Ayuthaya was a great city once upon a time. A city filled with enormous temples, exquisite palaces and monasteries, considered one of the finest cities in the world. The remnants of Ayutthaya made me seriously think about life. It was a city that had it all and was one of the richest cities of its time. But still, the city was torn down in a blink of an eye. It’s amazing how at one moment you have everything, and in the next, the only place you’re mentioned in are history books…

Ayutthaya really is an amazing city and I took a lot of breathtaking pictures here. You can check out the whole gallery here below and if you liked the article don’t forget to subscribe for some awesome travel tips and stories from around the world.

Originally published at passportsymphony.com on October 29, 2017.