The ancient town of Ayutthaya
The town of Ayutthaya is a great place to visit for a few days if you feel like resting from the nonstop buzz of Bangkok.
Ayutthaya is a small town surrounded by three rivers and it once was the state capital of the Kingdom of Thailand, only a 76 km train ride away from Bangkok.
It’s a picturesque 1.5-hour train ride that only costs 15THB in 3rd class, on an old train filled with Thais of all ages. The train passes through sugarcane fields, small villages, temples, rice paddies, and plains.
Being dry season we got to do the entire trip with windows opened, feeling the breeze in our faces, smelling the dust from the land, and listening to birdsongs. We reached Ayutthaya painted in black freckles from the dust.
If you need a snack during the trip, there will be enough vendors with food and drinks to sell at every stop. Some inside the train and others from the outside, through the windows.
As soon as we got to Ayutthaya train station, a flock of tuk-tuk drivers started touting to every tourist in sight, including us.
– Sir, Tuk-tuk? Where are you from? Where are you going?
From the train station to the city
To get into town, you need to cross the bridge or get a boat (4THB).
Stubbornly, we decided to decline every tuk-tuk offer, taxi, and boat crossing opportunity, and did it all by foot, carrying 4 backpacks under intense heat, at 12:00 PM. Did we mention the dry season? Yeah.
We ended up walking for 40 minutes until we found our hostel: One Baan Love.
Ayutthaya Temples entrance fee (2023)
Even though it is free to enter the Historical Park, there’s an entrance fee at almost every temple in Ayutthaya. So the alternatives are: buying a full ticket for 220 Bahts that grants you access to 6 temples:
• Wat Phra Si Sanphet,
• Wat Chai Wattanaram,
• Wat Phanan Choeng,
• Wat Phra Mahathat
• Wat Ratburana
Or you can pay 20 to 50 Bahts at the entrance of each temple.
We decided not to buy the full ticket and chose the ones we wanted to get in.
As in any other Buddhist temple, you’ll need to dress appropriately: no daisy dukes, bikini tops, or bare shoulders. Ladies, you should wear something appropriate as well.
All temples open for visits at 8 AM, some of them close at 4:30 PM, others at 6 PM.
Tip: if you want to enjoy some of the temples for yourself, visit them at launch hours (12:00 PM to 2:30 PM). Wear sunscreen.
The temples are designed in Khmer style and most of them are in really bad shape, mainly because of the Burmese destruction back in the day: Buddha sculptures were beheaded and many stones were stolen.
Regardless of all that, the ruins of the ancient town of Ayutthaya are impressive!
You can understand their original size and architectural detail in the mockups at the entrances.
Some of the sites were under conservation and restoration work to repair the damages caused by the floods in recent years.
The temples are solid and tower-like, so even though you can climb the stairs on some, you cannot go inside. Also, some stupas are closed to the public. We were only able to visit the stupa of Wat Phu Khao Thong.
In two days we managed to visit:
• Wat Choeng Tha
• Wat Phu Khao Thong
• Wat Na Phra Men
• Wat Lokayasutharam
• Wat Thammikarat
• Wat Phra Si Sanphet
• Wat Chai Wattanaram
• Wat Ratburana
And left a whole lot to see.
Looking back, we should’ve spent more than 2 days in Ayutthaya. The sunsets at Wat Chaiwatthanaram are incredible and we wouldn’t mind the opportunity to see one more.
Riding a bicycle around town
The majority of the temples are in the central part of town, so to reach the further temples, we rented 2 bicycles for 40THB each.
P.S- You can find even cheaper bikes if you rent them out of the city center.
Is fairly easy to rent a bicycle anywhere in Southeast Asia, plus the flat terrains and the great weather makes them the best affordable choice to move around.
Ayutthaya, being way less popular than Bangkok is also less touristy
There is less accommodation to choose from and a bit more expensive than the capital. Restaurants do not abound, especially if you come from the jumble of street food in Bangkok—but prices are quite similar. If you get out of the temple area, you can have a good meal for 35THB.
In our quest to find food, we crashed a local graduation party in an open sports field packed with food stalls and teenagers. We were hungry and new in town. Don’t judge.
While we were waiting in line to get food, some locals approached us and asked to take some photos with them. Maybe the sight of two tall, bearded dudes in the middle of a high school graduation party seemed funny to them.
Speaking of locals
All the interactions we had were kind and genuine without the ulterior motives you can’t help to feel in Bangkok.
Also in several places, we found warnings about stray dogs that like to jump at people. We never had any problems, probably because our legs are too skinny for them to bother.
If you must, use your tourist sword to scare them away — a selfie-stick can be a powerful weapon — use it wisely.
Ayutthaya travel expenses (daily average for 1 person)
Breakfast: € 2,06
Meals: € 1,35
Water: € 0,20
Hotel: € 9€ (Private double room)
Bicycle rent: € 0,64
Train: € 0,58 (Two way trip to Bangkok)
If you have any questions or some extra info everybody can benefit from, please leave it down in the comments!
Tricks and Hacks For Long Train Rides
In some parts of the world, riding the train is just a way of life. Yet, some of us live where there is no train service easily accessed. So if you are an avid train rider, this may sound silly to you, but keep in mind there are others reading who are about to embark on their very first train ride. If that train ride is a very long one, they have no idea what to expect. Still, read along, you may find a few hints that you can use as well.
Baggage
You will have a baggage allowance. You will be allowed to check your baggage if you choose to. Most advise against it. There is plenty of room to stash your bags overhead and there are little places like where back to back seats form a V that you can shove a bag into. If you pack smart you will have not problems taking what you need along with you.
Besides your bags consider a small backpack to wear on your chest, You can wear one on your back too, but the small one is for valuable things that would cause great problems if you lost them. Secure that backpack with a lock and use it as a pillow when you go to sleep. That is the time most baggage thieves strike. While many people lock all their baggage, you might find securing it to the rack with a strap is enough. A thief is not going to stand there and try to figure out why your bag will not move, he will move on to the next one.
Spreading out / sleeping cars
If you have room (no one is looking for a seat) feel free to spread out. Just be polite. If the train begins to fill up, move your things out of the way.
If you are going to be on a train for several hours, splurge on a sleeper car. If you are traveling with others, chip in together. Having the extra room and comfort is well worth it. To offset some of the expense, bring your own food and drinks with you. Train food is expensive and it usually is not very good. You might consider freezing a bottle of water before the trip and let it thaw during the early part of the ride. By the time the water thaws, you have a fresh cold drink for the evening meal.
Train etiquette
Pay attention to the people around you. If they are speaking softly, then you speak softly too. Do not be the loud passenger, speaking too loud, laughing too loud, and being a jerk.
Do not put your feet on the seat across from you, even if you take your shoes off. If you have foot odor, do not take your shoes off on the train. Also, take care of your look, especially if you are using your holidays for hiking, climbing, or any other nature sport. Your shoes might be full of dirt, and it’s recommended to leave the train in the same way you’ve entered it.
If you are going to snack, eat quietly and use proper manners. No one wants to hear you smacking and slurping. Do not bring smelly food on the train. Tuna or egg salad is simply not a good idea.
The restroom will be small, but look around in other cars, there is probably a larger one for handicap passengers.
If you want to stretch out, just before nighttime, head for the observation deck with your (backpack) pillow and blanket. You will probably not be asked to move.
Here are a few things to take with you on your trip:
– Reading material (or puzzle books)
– Portable charger for your phone. These can be precharged and they will recharge your cell phone anywhere
– Motion sickness medications
– Wet wipes
– Write down any train changes and keep it in your pocket so you do not have to dig out your actual tickets
– Breath mints
AUTHOR BIO
Wendy Dessler
Wendy is a super-connector with Outreachmama who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. She frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing and focuses her efforts on developing customized blogger outreach plans depending on the industry and competition.
Cover image by Hugh Lunnon
