Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya

Attractions and Travel Guide

Attractions Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya

Wat Suan Luang Sopsawan

King Maha Chakkraphat commanded the construction of this monastery on the west of the city which is the old military regiment area in the royal garden compound adjacent to the original area of Wat Sopsawan after the royal cremation of Queen Suriyothai. Her body was kept for the religious ceremonies in the Royal Garden (Suan Luang) Hall and was cremated there on the grounds.

Today, it is possible to visit a large pagoda called "Chedi Phra Si Suriyothai" that was built on the location of the crematorium.

Wat Tum

Thong Road, 6 – 7 kilometres from Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, the temple covers an area of approximately 15 rai. There is no evidence as to when it was constructed and by whom. It is believed to have existed since the Ayothaya period before the establishment of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya and must have once been abandoned after the fall of the Kingdom in 1767, before being renovated in the reign of King Rama I and has resumed a status as a monastic temple ever since. Wat Tum has also served as a temple for a war strategy ceremony for at least 1,000 years presumably since the foundation of Ayutthaya. The temple houses a special Buddha image of which the top part above the forehead can be lifted and the head finial known as Ketumala can be removed. There is a hollow inside the head deep down nearly to the throat containing drops of seeping drinkable clean water that never runs dry. It is a bronze crowned and bejewelled image of the Buddha seated in the gesture of subduing Mara, measuring 87 centimetres in width and 150 centimetres in height. Originally named “Luangpho Thongsuksamrit”, the image is currently called “Luangpho Suk” and is of an unknown origin. The head of the image will be opened on the first day of each month.Thong Road, 6 – 7 kilometres from Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, the temple covers an area of approximately 15 rai. There is no evidence as to when it was constructed and by whom. It is believed to have existed since the Ayothaya period before the establishment of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya and must have once been abandoned after the fall of the Kingdom in 1767, before being renovated in the reign of King Rama I and has resumed a status as a monastic temple ever since. Wat Tum has also served as a temple for a war strategy ceremony for at least 1,000 years presumably since the foundation of Ayutthaya. The temple houses a special Buddha image of which the top part above the forehead can be lifted and the head finial known as Ketumala can be removed. There is a hollow inside the head deep down nearly to the throat containing drops of seeping drinkable clean water that never runs dry. It is a bronze crowned and bejewelled image of the Buddha seated in the gesture of subduing Mara, measuring 87 centimetres in width and 150 centimetres in height. Originally named “Luangpho Thongsuksamrit”, the image is currently called “Luangpho Suk” and is of an unknown origin. The head of the image will be opened on the first day of each month.

Chankasem or Front Palace National Museum

Chankasem Palace was built during the reign of King Maha Thammaraja, the 17^th King of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya. During the reign of King Naresuan the Great the Palace became his permanent residence. Chankasem Palace, like the other palaces, was destroyed during the Burmese invasion. It has been renovated and reopened as a museum open to the public on Wednesdays through Sundays from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.

Ayutthaya Studies Institute

Sited next to Ayutthaya Historical Study Centre is an institute established with the aim of unertaking further study and research on Ayutthaya's history, its arts and culture, ways of life as well as local wisdoms. Aside from this, Ayutthaya Studies Institute also serves to promote this ancient capital by initiating several tourism-related projects with a prime focus on local culture and wisdom. Featured in the projects are a wide array of activities such as demonstration of OTOP products and performances. As well as this, a learning centre on arts, culture and local wisdom and an information centre providing local guide services for both Thais and foreigners alike are also established. The institute, which is an organization of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Rajabhat University, has recently arranged an interesting exhibition showcasing Ayutthaya's timeless treasures -  a combination of history, arts and local wisdom. Five traditional Thai houses located in the area of the instutute are dedicated to this exhibition. Those wishing to experience first-hand the diverse aspects of Ayutthaya's glory should not miss cultural and arts performances scheduled to perform every Saturday and Sunday,from 5.00 p.m. onwards. For further information, please contact 0 3524 1407 or 08 9115 5181.

Ayutthaya Historical Park

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ayutthaya's historic temples are scattered throughout this once magnificent city and along the encircling rivers. Several of the more central ruins Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Mongkhon Bophit, Wat Na Phra Meru, Wat Thammikarat, Wat Ratburana and Wat Phra Mahathat can be visited on foot.

It is possible to add more temples and ruins to travel itineraries by touring the city on a rented bicycle. An ideal combination of modes of transportation for visitors interested in seeing everything would be to hire a bicycle for the central temples and charter a long-tail boat to take a tour of the outlying ruins along the river.

Ayutthaya Historical Park is situated opposite the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum. The main attraction in the historical park is Viharn Phramongkol Bophit which houses one of the largest bronze Buddha images in Thailand.

Ancient Forts and Fortresses

The city wall originally built by King U Thong was merely a moat-and-mound enclosure with a wall of wooden poles on top. A brick one was built later in the reign of King Maha Chakraphat. According to a Royal Chronicle, a number of fortresses were constructed such as Pom Maha Chai, Pom Sat Kop, Pom Phet, Pom Ho Ratchakhrue and Pom Champa Phon. Large fortresses were built on the meeting points of rivers. Pom Phet on the meeting point of the Chao Phraya and Pa Sak Rivers is now a public park while Pom Maha Chai at the corner of Chanthara Kasem Palace near Hua Ro Market was dismantled in the reign of King Rama I who had the bricks taken to be used in the construction of a new capital in Bangkok.

The Support Arts and Craft International Centre of Thailand (SACICT)

The Support Arts and Craft International Centre of Thailand (SACICT) is located on the left bank of the Chao Phraya River at Chang Yai Sub-District, Bang Sai District, next to the Bang Sai Arts and Crafts Center, on an area of over 18 acres. It comprises 2 main buildings, Phra Ming Mongkhon Hall, a large three-storey building, as the display and exhibition center of craft products for export, with a usable area of 34,340  square meter, and the Marketing Building for Bang Sai Center Products, with an area of 7,000 square meters, which was completed in July 2004.

The Ministry of Commerce presented the Support Arts and Crafts International Centre of Thailand (public Organization) as a tribute to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand, at the special function entitled Support Atrs and Crafts International Centre of Thailand paying tribute to the Great Queen of Siam on the Auspicious 72nd Birthday Anniversary held during August 2004.

Within SACICT, the exhibition are on the 1st floor is where prime craft products selected from 76 rovinces all over the country are put on display in the revolving exhibits changed every 3 months. Products that are of extraordinary beauty are permanently displayed in the Hall of Fame to be appraised by tourists and the general public on a wide scale. Also, craft products of the Bang Sai Folk Arts and Crafts Center which won prizes at an international level are on display.

Moreover, there is the Support shop, as the outlet of craft products made by trainees at the Bang Sai Folk Arts and Crafts Center, and from other Support Centres around the country, 22 in number. There is also the OTOP shop, where OTOP goods from all over the country are on sale.

The 3rd floor of SACICT serves as the area for trade negotiations, where craft products are marketed and distributed to the market on a wide scale.

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