Temple Raider

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Ayuthaya is the former Thai capital and was the seat of power for the Siamese kingdom for over 400 years. The city was destroyed in 1767 by the Burmese and the surviving Thai army fled to form a new capital in Thonburi and later Bangkok.

The attack of the Burmese hit the city hard but many of the ruins of the temples remain today. Visiting Ayuthaya is like playing a game of Tomb Raider as you wander around the ruins that are scattered throughout the city. Many are free to get into, but some of the better kept have a small 50 baht fee.

Getting to Ayuthaya is quite simple. Most people visit as part of a tour which takes in the main sights of the city. I decided not to go as part of a tour and opted for the train (more on that soon). Although there are many ‘recommended’ temples, I found some of the most impressive to be off the beaten track. The benefit of going to some of the more obscure temples is that there are not large groups of tourists there so you getter a better feel for what it used to be like. You can obtain a map from any tourist centre and then proceed on foot or bike at your own pace.

There is a regular train service from Bangkok to Ayuthaya. Although I had heard there were air conditioned first class carriages on most services, I did not find out until it was too late that you have to book these in advance. Arriving at the train station, the only tickets available were in the third class ‘standee’ carriage. We all piled onto the train which was literally cattle class. The lucky few managed to get a seat while the rest stood with only a ceiling fan for ventilation. As it turned out these carriages are air conditioned, if a large open window can be classed as air conditioning. Courtesy rules on the train with people offering up seats to the elderly or those with children. There are no complaints about this, it is just accepted.

The journey itself was not too bad and something that just has to be experienced at least once (although I am still reluctant to try Vietnam railways). The return journey was slightly more comfortable though as the train was quieter by that time of day and hence wooden bench seats were readily available. Essentially third class is a wooden bench with open windows, second class is a wooden bench with a pillow and open windows while first class are padded seats with air con.

Seeing Ayuthaya is a must. The ruins give you a glimpse into the past, without the gold and bejewelled temples that dominate Thailand now. It is a nice break from city life and you could easily spend a few days there really exploring the city and getting into the finer detail of the Siam nation. For me though it was back to Bangkok.

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