Wat Yai Chai Mongkol

On the eastern outskirts of Ayutthaya (cross the Pasak River and take the Bangkok road, turning right about 300 m (990 ft) beyond the railway) stands the exceptionally interesting Wat Yai Chai Mongkol, its massive chedi rising from a square base surrounded by four smaller chedis. The wat, built in 1357 under King U Thong, was assigned to monks of a particularly strict order trained in Ceylon, members of which still live there. In front of the chedi are the stumps of columns which once supported the roof of the temple.

Wat Ratchaburana

Wat Ratchaburana was erected by King Boromracha II (1424-48) in memory of his elder brothers Ay and Yi, killed in a duel over the succession to the throne. Columns and walls of the wiharn still stand, as do some ruined chedis around the prang and also parts of the surrounding walls complete with lancet gateways. The large prang with its fine figured stucco, portraying nagas supporting garudas, is exceptionally well preserved.

The two crypts in the lower part of the prang contain some exceedingly interesting wall paintings, probably the work of Chinese artists who settled in Ayutthaya and had the skill to harmonize such different styles as those of the Khmer and Burmese on the one hand and of Lopburi and Sukhothai on the other

While excavating in the prang between 1956 and 1958 archaeologists discovered more than 100,000 votive tablets, known in Thai as "phra phim". These were later sold and the proceeds used to build the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum. Such tablets, generally molded in clay, were carried by pilgrims and usually bore pictures of holy places or simply of the Buddha. Various works of art were also uncovered in the prang; these included arm-bands with intaglio decoration, gold filigree headdresses and one in solid gold inlaid with precious stones, a five-part service used for betel nuts, two spittoons, and gold coins with Arabic lettering. Most of the finds are on display in the Chandra Kasem National Museum.

The prang itself is also of historical interest in that it combines the Indian (Ceylonese) and Burmese styles, merging them into a novel architectural form. Some of the stucco work at the top is well preserved. The square platform had a small chedi at each corner. Two more chedis at the crossroads house the ashes of the royal brothers while a third commemorates Queen Si Suriyothai who, during a battle with the Burmese in about 1550, dressed as a man and rode into the fray on a white elephant to save her husband's life, losing her own in the process. Near this chedi, on the site of the now completely destroyed Wat Lokaya Sutha, a giant reclining figure of the Buddha can be seen.

Wat Phra Si Sanphet

Wat Phra Si Sanphet is the loveliest and historically most important temple in old Ayutthaya. Its three large chedis and numerous smaller ones on a long terrace make this wat - also known as the King's Temple - one of the most impressive sights in the ruined city.

Two of the large chedis, the eastern and central ones, were built in 1492 by King Rama Thibodi II to house the ashes of his father and elder brother. His own ashes are interred in the third chedi, built in 1530 by his son and successor on the throne, King Boromaraja IV. All three chedis were opened up and plundered by the Burmese who nevertheless failed to find the hundreds of small statues of the Buddha in bronze, crystal, silver, lead and gold now on display in the

National Museum in Bangkok. The building on the west side of the terrace, once crowned by a chedi, has numerous entrances with small prangs. Like the smaller chedis and chapels around it these probably contain the ashes of other members of the royal family. Between the chedis are what were presumably mondhops while in front of the terrace, roughly in the center of the temple compound, are pillars and walls, the remains of the great wiharn which once housed a 16-m (52-ft) high figure of Buddha encased in gold. The statue itself, damaged and stripped of its gold by the Burmese, was removed by King Rama I to one of the large chedis of Wat Pho in Bangkok. Other smaller Buddha figures were also taken to the capital to be placed in Wat Buddhaisawan (now part of the National Museum in Bangkok) and the western wiharn of Wat Pho.

Leaving the Royal Wat - note the memorial to King U Thong opposite - take the turning on the left to Wang Luang palace, also sometimes referred to as "the Old Palace" to distinguish it from the Chandra Kasem Palace which was built later. A third palace, Klang Suan Luang, once stood close to the city's western wall in the vicinity of Queen Suriyochai's chedi. Of this latter palace nothing now remains.

The walls of Wang Luang extend right up to the Lopburi River. Apart from these and the well-restored foundations, there is little to be seen, the Burmese having been very thorough in their destruction of this part of Ayutthaya. For the same reason little survives from the once numerous old Thai houses. Even so a fairly good idea of the original extent of the palace complex, which also incorporated Wat Si Sanphet, can be obtained. Perhaps the best way to visualize this section of the old city is to compare it to the Great Palace in Bangkok which was actually modeled on Ayutthaya's Wang Luang though built in different styles. The oldest building in the complex was erected by U Thong in 1350, the year in which Ayutthaya became his new capital.

Wat Mahathat

Immediately across the road from Wat Ratchaburana stands Wat Mahathat which tradition claims was erected in 1384 by King Ramesuen. He is also said to have built the central prang to house a relic of the Buddha. This however is considered doubtful; according to a more reliable source the first buildings on the site, including the above-mentioned prang, were actually constructed by King Boromaraja I (1370-88). The prang, 46 m (150 ft) high, is one of the old city's most impressive edifices. In about 1625 the top portion broke off, being rebuilt in 1633 some 4 m (13 ft) higher than before. Later it collapsed again and only the corners survived. In 1956 a secret chamber was uncovered in the ruins; among the treasures found inside were gold

jewelry, a gold casket containing a relic of the Buddha, and fine tableware. Scattered around the temple are some important remains of variously shaped prangs and chedis, in particular an octagonal chedi with a truncated spire in the Ceylonese style. Near by, the head of a still much revered statue of the Buddha lies on the ground.

Chao Sam Phraya National Museum

Further along on the right, past the Ayutthaya provincial government offices, the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum was founded by King Bhumibol in 1961. It houses some valuable and interesting items in the Lopburi, U Thong, Ayutthaya, Dvaravati and Sukhothai styles including finds from Ayutthaya, sculptures in bronze and stone, terracotta and lacquer work, ceramics, wood-carvings, votive panels and gold jewelry set with precious stones. Outstanding among the many earlier works of art are a seated Buddha (Dvaravati, 11-12th. c.) and a huge bust of the Buddha in the U Thong style.

Koh Phi Phi

Over the years the Phi Phi islands have been famous among backpackers as a remote tropical paradise. Like many other places in Thailand it was soon discovered by the more resourceful tour operators who first built little huts then followed up with reasonably comfortable bungalows. Now there are several hotels, discreetly fitting in with the island scenery so as not to detract from its unique charm.

Don Muang International Airport

Most of Thailand's air traffic is handled through this Airport. It is located 22 km (14 mi) north of the city center.

Chitralada Palace

Once King Chulalongkorn's summer residence, Chitralada Palace stands in about 1 sq. km (247 acres) of grounds incorporating several artificial lakes. At each corner of the park is a fountain adorned with Late Baroque figures drawn from mythology, evidence of the cultivated taste of Thailand's rulers.

Chitralada is hardly a typical royal residence; visitors, were they to be granted access, would be reminded more of an agricultural research station. The palace indeed doubles as a sort of experimental farm, aimed primarily at boosting the income of rice growers in the north by providing fish stock. The royal fish ponds are therefore much more than just a hobby. There is also a beef-rearing unit and an

experimental dairy.

As befits their status, the famous royal "white elephants" also have their quarters at the palace, where they are taken after first spending some time in Dusit Zoo. King Bhumibol now owns more albino elephants than any of his predecessors; never before have so many been presented to a monarch in the course of his reign.

The moat around the grounds made headlines during the unrest in 1973 when student demonstrators sought, and found, refuge inside the palace railings.

Ocean World Leisure Park

    Bang Saen is always overcrowded at weekends when people from nearby Bangkok come in their thousands to relax on the sandy but desperately overcrowded beaches (and all the accommodation is taken up). "Ocean World", an American-style leisure park complete with swimming pools, opened on the promenade a few years ago.

Bang Saen Aquarium

Bangkok Education College's interesting Scientific Marine Center (in the inner courtyard of the College) exhibits numerous species of fish found in the Gulf of Thailand.

Khun Phaen House

Khun Phaen House is built on an artificial island where a prison once stood. The traditional Thai house, one of the very few remaining, was constructed in 1940 from material salvaged from other old dwellings. It is not unlike Jim Thompson's House in Bangkok.

Banyong Ratanat Building

Further along on the right, past the Ayutthaya provincial government offices, the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum was founded by King Bhumibol in 1961. It houses some valuable and interesting items in the Lopburi, U Thong, Ayutthaya, Dvaravati and Sukhothai styles including finds from Ayutthaya, sculptures in bronze and stone, terracotta and lacquer work, ceramics, wood-carvings, votive panels and gold jewelry set with precious stones. Outstanding among the many earlier works of art are a seated Buddha (Dvaravati, 11-12th. c.) and a huge bust of the Buddha in the U Thong style.