Ayuthaya Thailand

The Buddha head at Wat Mahathat – enclosed in fig tree roots that grew around it over centuries, the stone face looking out from between the serpentine wooden walls – is one of the more reproduced images in Southeast Asian travel. The arrangement is accidental: after the Burmese sacked Ayutthaya in 1767, destroying the capital and leaving statues decapitated, a fig tree slowly grew through the ruins and its roots encased a fallen head. The tree and the head have been inseparable since.

Ayutthaya served as Thailand’s capital from 1351 to 1767, when the Burmese burned it. At its height in the 17th century, it was one of the world’s largest cities with a population around one million – larger than London at the same time. What remains is spread across the island formed by the junction of three rivers: brick prangs, chedis, and columns from dozens of temples, many ruined to their lower courses, some partially restored. The scale of what was here is only readable on a bicycle or in a boat.

The Key Sites

Wat Phra Si Sanphet is the most important royal temple on the site, with three massive chedis that once held royal ashes and an adjacent museum covering the kingdom’s history. The chedis have been partially restored to their original form; the scale of the central precinct gives a sense of what the temple complex looked like at its peak.

Wat Mahathat is for the Buddha head in the tree roots. The rest of the temple is impressive ruins with the usual Ayutthayan brick-and-laterite construction, but the tree-root head is the specific thing most people come for.

Wat Chaiwatthanaram on the Chao Phraya riverbank west of the island is a 17th-century temple with a Khmer-influenced prang (central tower) and multiple satellite prangs arranged in the characteristic Angkor-influenced layout. It’s best visited in the late afternoon when the light comes from the west and the warm stone illuminates properly.

Getting There from Bangkok

Ayutthaya is 80 kilometres north of Bangkok: direct trains from Hua Lamphong Station take 1.5-2 hours and are the most practical option for a day trip. Buses run regularly from the northern bus terminal at Mo Chit. Most visitors do Ayutthaya as a day trip, which is enough for the main sites; staying overnight gives access to the early morning before the day-trip crowds arrive from Bangkok.

Getting Around

Bicycles are the best way to navigate the island – rentals are available from shops near the train station for around 50-80 baht per day. The sites are spread far enough that walking everything is tiring in the heat but compact enough that a bicycle handles the distances easily.

Tuk-tuks are the alternative; negotiate a half-day price at the station rather than paying per site.

Practical Notes

Dress modestly for temple sites: covered shoulders and knees. The heat is significant – visit early morning (7-10am) and late afternoon (4-6pm) and find shade at midday. The December-February cool season (25-30 degrees Celsius, minimal humidity) is optimal for the temple circuit.