Ayutthaya Photo Gallery

Naresuan Road Ayutthaya’s main business street. Close to buses and tuk-tuks and a short walk and ferry ride to the train station across the river. Taxis in Ayutthaya are rare, but tuk-tuks are reasonable and bicycles and motorbikes can be rented many places.

Here I am at the Ayutthaya train station.

The trip from Ayutthaya to Bangkok (or vice-versa) is 15 baht, about 50 cents.

The trip takes about two hours, but be warned: There is no air conditioning and no refreshment car.

Luckily, vendors walk from car to car with cold sodas and Thai snack foods.

Here’s a street view of a sidewalk food seller. A variety of Thai food is available all over. Thai’s love to eat!

The food is very cheap and quite good (but not as good as Jee’s Top5!)

Like shopping? Ayutthaya has plenty! From modern malls to the sidewalk sellers to the night market.

Oh my! Look at all the shoes! And 100 baht a pair! That’s about three dollars!

I should have bought more!

Of course Ayutthaya, as the former capital of Siam, is rich in history.

This is the famous Buddha in the Banyan tree at Wat Phra Mahathat, just a couple of kilometers from the business hub shown above.

This is the lesser known, but very beautiful Suriothai Monument just outside of Ayutthaya.

In 1548 Queen Suriothai, dressed as a man, joined a fierce battle against the Burmese and saved the King’s life (her husband) by attacking the Burmese Viceroy, who was defeating her husband, the King.

Alas, she was killed by the Viceroy, but by saving the King she allowed the Thai forces to regroup and retreat safely to Ayutthaya.

The monument shows Suriothai on her magnificent war elephant.

Here’s the King’s Summer Palace in Bang Pa-in (left) and the lovely Queen’s Arts and Crafts Center in Bang Sai (right).

Ayutthaya is wonderful mix of the old and the new: Traditional Thailand, but with a modern outlook. No trip to Thailand is complete without a visit.

I love America and I’m very proud to be a US citizen, but if it sounds like I’m also proud of Ayutthaya, well, isn’t everybody proud of their hometown?