Ayutthaya World Heritage Site. Page (1) | (2) | (3)

Heading north on the 75……..This is another follow up report from news items appearing in my News pages. I reported on 27th November and 11th December the general concern about the condition of the precious structures in Ayutthaya’s Historical Park as the recent floods had further undermined the foundations. Although hardly off the beaten track it is and easy trip for me and provides a chance to assess what further damage the flooding may have caused.
I cross to Don Mueang railway station by aircon. bus. It’s just 35 minutes from here by 'express' train 75 to Ayutthaya. The city is geared up for the tourist trade. If you arrive independently you can choose to rent a bicycle or motorbike opposite the station for about 40 baht/200 baht respectively for the day. Otherwise tuk tuk drivers will be keen to offer their services for 200 baht/hour standard rate. Bare in mind it will take a good 30 minutes visiting time to do justice to the main temple complexes; a good 3 hours to cover the main sites in the Historical Park. The original city was vast; 1 million inhabitants at its peak in the 1700’s so there are numerous other sites available for those keen enough to venture further. However the tuk tuk drivers gain if you choose to visit only the larger sites within the park.
Today I am covering briefly only some the larger sites for inclusion on this website. These are: Wat Yai Chai Mongkol, Wat Phra Mahrathat, Wat Ratchaburana, Wat Phra Si Samphet and the adjacent Viharn Phra Mongkol Bopitah. These will now be dealt with in turn. At the time of my visit the entrance fee to the main sites in the Historical Park is 50 baht. This differs from the 30 baht I read on other sites with only Wat Yai Chai Mongkol outside the main park area maintaining its 20 baht fee. On the one hand this is not a high price to pay considering the extra work required post the serious flooding last year. E.g. I noted that new turf had been relayed and watered at Wat Yai Chai Mongkol while at other sites some places had restricted entry while assessment of flood damage was still ongoing. On the other hand Thailand discriminates with their pricing policy here to the benefit their own nationals as opposed foreigners.