Sights

The sight seen described below take in the most important wats. Ayutthaya’s other fine ruins are described in the same article too. The sheer size of the site means that the considerable numbers of tourists are easily dispersed among the ruins, leaving the visitor to wander in complete tranquility among the walkways, chedis and trees.

Wat Ratchaburana

This wat was built by King Boromraja II in 1424 on the cremation site of this two brothers (princes Ai and Yo), who were killed while contesting the throne. The Khmer-style prang (which has been partially restored) still stands amidst the ruins of the wat. Some of the most important treasures found in Ayutthaya were discovered in 1958: bronze Buddha images, precious stones and golden royal regalia, belonging, it is assumed, t he two brothers.

Wat Phra Mahathat

Across the road from Wat Ratchaburana sits the Monastery of the Great relic. It was founded in 1384, making it one of the earliest prangs in Ayutthaya, and was the largest of all Ayutthaya’s monasteries, built to house holy relics of the Buddha (hence its name). It is said that King Boromraja I (1370-1388) was meditating one dawn when he saw a glow emanating from the earth; he took this to mean that a relic of the Buddha lay under the soil and ordered a wat to be founded. Only the large base remains of the original Khmer-style prang, which collapsed during the reign of King Song Tham (1610-1628). When the Fine Art Department excavated the site in 1956, it found a number of gold Buddha images as well as relics of the Buddha inside a gold casket, now exhibited in the National Museum, Bangkok.

Ayutthaya Historical Study Centre

Further south, on Rojana Road, this museum and research centre is housed in a surprisingly sensitively designed modern building, proving there are some creative architects in the country. The museum tries to recreate Ayutthaya life and does so with some excellent models.

Chao Sam Phraya Museum

Located on Rojana road, this museum was opened in 1961. Votive tablets excavated from Wat Ratchaburana were auctioned off the raise funds for its construction it houses many of Ayutthaya’s relics in particular the Mongkol Buddha.

Wat Phra Sri Sanphet

Within the extensive grounds of Want Luang (the Royal Palace) was the largest and most beautiful wat in Ayutthaya; the equivalent of Wat Phra Kaeo in Bangkok. Three restored Ceylonese-style chedis dominate the compound. They contain the ashes of King Boromtrailokant (1448-1488) and his two sons (who were also kings of Ayutthaya). There are no prangs here; the three central chedis are surrounded by alternate smaller chedis and viharn’s. Remains of walls and leaning pillars give an impression of the vastness of the wat. In 1500 it alleged that a 16-m standing Buddha was cast by King Ramathipodi II (1491-1529). Using a staggering 5, 500, 00 kg of bronze and covered in 340kng of gold leaf. The image’s name, Phra Sri Sanphet, later became the name of the wat. When the Burmese invaded the city in 1768 the image was set on fire in order to release the gold. In the process destroying both it and the temple.

Viharn Phra Mongkol Bopits

South of Wat Phra Sri Sanphet stands this ‘new’ viharn, built in 1056 and modeled on the 15^th –century original which was razed by the Burmese. It houses, at 12.5 m high, one of the largest bronze Buddhas in the world. This black image, which is made of sheets of copper-bronze fastened onto a core of brick and plaster, probably dates from the 16^th century.

Wat Na Phramane

Travel back past Wang Luang to the main road, turn east and after 250m the road crosses the Old Lopburi River. From the bridge one can see Wat Na Phramane, which dates from 1503 and is one of the most complete examples of Ayutthayan architecture. It is reputed to have been built by one of King Ramathibodi’s concubine, Pra Ong, at which time it was known as Wat Pramerurachikaram. A treaty to end one of the many wars with Burma was signed here in 1549. More than two centuries later in 1767, the Burmese used the position to attack the city once again, and it is said that the King of Burma suffered a mortal blow from a cannon which backfired during the initial bombardment. Perhaps because of this, the Burmese – usually – left the wat intact. Even without the helping hands of the Burmese, the wat still fell into disrepair the was not restored until 1838. The lovely early Ayutthayan bot is the largest in the city and contains an impressive crowned bronze Buddha image.

Wat Thamrikrat

South over the bridge that crosses a small tributary of the Old Lopburi River, again, a short distance east along Kalahom Road, is Wat Thamrikrat, the Monastery of the Pious Monarch, with Singha (stucco lions) surrounding an overgrown chedi. Scholars are not sure exactly when it was built, but they are largely agreed that it predates the reign of King Boromtrailokant (1448-1488).

Wat Choeng Tha

Also on the north bank of the river, not far from the confluence of Chao Phraya and Old Lopburi River, is this wat. It is not known when it was originally built – it has been restored on a number of occasions – but it is said to have been constructed by a man whose daughter ran away with her lover and never returned; it was known as Wat Koy Tha, the Monastery of Waiting. The Ayutthaya-style prang is in reasonable condition as is the sala kan parian, although the bot and viharn are both in poor condition.

Wat Yai Chai Mongkol

Southeast of the town is Wat Yai Chai Mongkol, or simply Wat Yai (Big Wat), built by King Uthong, also known as King Ramathibodi I, in 1357, for a group of monks who had studied and been ordained in Ceylon. The imposing 72-m high chedi was built in the Ceylonese style (now with a rather alarming tilt) to celebrate the victory of King Naresuan over the Prince of Burma in 1592, in single-handed elephant combat. The viharn contains a massive reclining Buddha image. It is unusual as its eyes are open. Reclining images traditionally symbolize death or sleep, so the eyes are closed.

Elephant kraals

Take a saamlor from Chee Kun Rd northwards over the Old Lopburi River to reach the kraal. If coming from Wat Phu Kao Thong, cross the Pa Mok highway and drive for 3-5km.

Northeast of the city, on the banks of the Old Lopburi River, are the only remaining elephant kraals in Thailand. The kraals were built in the reign of King Maha Chakrapat in 1580 to capture wild elephants. The kraals are square-shaped enclosures with double walls. The inner walls are made of teak posts fixed to the ground at close intervals. The outer walls are made of earth, faced with brick, and are 3m high. The kraals have two entrances: one to allow the decoy elephant to lure the heard into the enclosure, and the other to lead them out again. The outer wall on the west side is slightly wider to provide a platform from which the king, seated in a pavilion, could watch the elephant round-up. The last round-up of wild elephants occurred in May 1903, to entertain royal guests during King Chulalongkorn’s reign. The kraal has been extensively restored and is rather clinical as a result.