Thailand Honeymoon. Chapter 5: Ayutthaya

This was one of the most history intensive days on our trip which was both exhausting and fascinating! Our tour began with a trip to Bang Pa-In Royal Palace (or better known as the summer palace).  The complex was huge so we barely touched the surface but we did get to experience what its really well known for- the mixture of Thai, Chinese, and Gothic architecture. The tour guide described it was a “museum, providing a glimpse into a time when Thailand was known as Siam.”

The Aisawan Dhiphya-Asana Pavilion:

The next stop was my favorite of the day.  The ruins of the ancient capital, Ayutthaya.  It was once a thriving city in the Siamese Kingdom from 1350 until 1767 when it was seized by the Burmese.  You’ll notice the lack of heads on the Buddha’s; this was in large part done by looters who stole the Buddha heads and sold them to museums around the world but eventually, the Thai government made the decision to remove the rest in order to preserve the sacred image of Buddha. 

We continued on to visit other temples that survived repeated occupations by the Burmese.  Wat Na Phramane is a temple built in 1503 under King Ramathibodee II though it first became of historical importance in 1563 when it was used as the common ground to meet with the Burmese King to facilitate peace.  In 1760 the temple was taken under Burmese control by King Alongphaya who used it to store a cannon.  It was actually the cannon that misfired and fatally injured the king thus forcing the Burmese troops to retreat and giving the temple its notoriety.

The only surviving mural from the mid 1800’s in the area is found inside Phra Sanphet Vihara but it is in terrible condition.

We disembarked from out bus to take a lunch river cruise back to Bangkok...and this was a success! It was exactly opposite from the debacale a few nights previously.  The boat was smaller with delicious buffet food and no loud or obtrusive music to annoy us.  It was a lovely two hour cruise where we could watch the rural Thai coast turn into the bustling ports and coast of Bangkok.