Ancient treasures, delicious delights
Ayutthaya offers the ideal mix of rich history and culinary treats, all within a short distance from Bangkok
Only 70km from Bangkok, Ayutthaya is a popular destination for a day trip from the capital. Adding to its appeal are Ayutthaya's status as an old Thai capital, and its rich history, which encompasses politics, international trade and war. Many ruins survive, some carefully restored, offering a view of Thai architecture from the past.
SAY WAT: The majestic Wat Maheyong is one of many temples in Ayutthaya worth visiting on a day trip.
Many of the city's ancient sites, however, are located outside the city centre, presenting a challenge for those who want a comprehensive idea of what Ayutthaya was like.
All of Ayutthaya's historical sites are ruins of Buddhist temples. No palaces survive since in the past these were large compounds of wooden Thai-style houses, all of which were torched during Siam's final war with Burma.
Ayutthaya's many large temples were built by royal decree. Over the centuries, 33 kings sat on the throne in Ayutthaya, and during peaceful times when the economy was strong, commerce thrived, and there were no wars, many temples were built.
Great attention was paid both to the location of these temples and to ensuring that the most talented artisans were recruited to work on them.
Wat Chai Wattanaram and Wat Phuttai Sawan are two such temples. Both large wats were built in a prime location on the banks of the Chao Phraya River.
There are many other temples well worth visiting such as Wat Maheyong, a large building located on beautiful grounds off the main island. Wat Na Phra Mane, set directly opposite the main palace area, is the only temple that was not burned during the last war with Burma because it served as a command centre for the Burmese officers who came to supervise the attack on Ayutthaya.
The road next to Wat Na Phra Mane goes to the old elephant corral, where wild elephants were gathered. Ceremonies were performed there during which the elephants that would be used to work in the city were chosen. Today the site is home to a Thai-Muslim community.
On this same road, on the left about one kilometre from Wat Na Phra Mane, is the entrance to Wat Sri Pho, and a little past that is a lane leading to Wat Phra Ngam.
It is not known who built Wat Phra Ngam, which has been fully restored. Before the restoration its chedi , or stupa, was in a state of decay. It remained beautiful, however, because of the big hole in the middle of it that offered a view of the large Buddha image inside. While the sun was setting, its rays would shine through the hole, illuminating the image. No pictures were taken of this as few people were aware of the phenomenon and the hole was closed during the temple's restoration.
Going past Wat Phra Ngam, the road ends at another beautiful temple, Wat Phya Maen, built during the Middle Ayutthaya Period during the reign of King Narai the Great. Its architectural style is similar to that of the palace at Lop Buri. The doors or windows have sharp curving contours that are thought to be Western-influenced.
The grounds around the temple are serene and beautiful, with pools on both sides and large, shady trees. It is good to visit with a group, however, for safety reasons.
While Ayutthaya abounds in interesting sites to visit, it is also worth checking out the local cuisine.
If you want keep things simple and have noodles for lunch, there is good kui tio kai cheek in front of Wat Phanomyong, a little way outside the Ayutthaya city. This noodle dish is made with boiled chicken meat that has been shredded by hand.
It was originally sold at Wat Jao Jet in Sena district, a little over 20km outside of Ayutthaya. Today it is the city's signature noodle dish. The version sold at Wat Phanomyong is quite good, but the shop closes often and its schedule is unpredictable (it used to be closed only on Mondays).
If you want to order a bigger meal from a menu, check out Khrua Kaen restaurant, located at the entrance to Soi Chao Paang Chaang near Wat Maheyong. Here many authentic, old-style Thai dishes are available. They offer saeng waa (a sour-hot dish made from prawns and many kinds of herbs), tom yam pla (a sour-hot fish soup, with a choice of several kinds of fish), and sai bua phat kung (fresh lotus stems stir-fried with shrimp). The restaurant is spacious and comfortable, the cooking is good, and prices are reasonable, but it is only open for lunch.
Chaai Nam restaurant is an option for the evening. Begin at the circle where there is a large stupa set in the middle of the road and continue along the road that passes Wat Phanan Choeng (the road eventually leads to Bang Pa-in). The restaurant is only two or three kilometres from the starting point.
There are many restaurants in this area because it is on the bank of the Chao Phraya River. Among them are restaurants whose Thai names translate to River View, River Bank, Water's Edge, Riverside 2, Riveside 3, and Riverside 9.
The best of them is Chaai Nam (Riverside). Some especially good items on the menu are tom yam pla khao (a sour-hot, chilli and lime soup made with a type of fresh-water fish), haw moke (fish meat and herbs steamed in a spicy curried coconut custard mixture), and kai phat sai kathi sai plaa raa (fried chicken with coconut cream and fermented fish). It is known for the dessert khanom khao tom phat, which is usually gone before the end of the day.
It is best to visit this restaurant before sunset because of the impressive view of the river. It tends to fill up in the evening, but the food is delicious and prices are reasonable.
These culinary stops are worth visiting if you have a day to spend in Ayutthaya and want to make the most of it.
Credit: Bangkok Post (www.bangkokpost.com)
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