Ayutthaya Beyond the Ruins

We left the Japanese Village by tuk-tuk, which brought us the rest of the way back to Ayutthaya Station. Ayutthaya tuk-tuks are really unique. They are of a different design than the ones we get in Bangkok, and are famous for their hoods, which have a uniquely curved shape said by some to resemble a samurai's helmet.

 Along the way, we drove past a sort of boat graveyard, where old wooden riverboats were propped up on stilts along the riverbank.

I have no idea how old these boats are, or what they were used for, but I can't help thinking that somebody could turn them into a really interesting museum.

We had to cross the river to get back to Ayutthaya Island from the train station. There's a convenient ferry that takes just a few minutes and only costs a handful of baht coins. It's also a fun way to experience a small slice of local life along the river.

There was still some time left in the afternoon, so we decided to pay a visit to the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum, a branch of the Thai National Museum dedicated to the archaeological discoveries found at the Ayutthaya Historical Park.

The museum contains historic art, statues, carving and more. While the exhibits are smaller than the ones housed at the National Museum in Bangkok, they are no less impressive. Many of the artifacts date back hundreds of years to the glory days of the Ayutthaya kingdom.

A handful of exhibition halls also feature treasures which have been excavated from the royal crypts of Ayutthaya. These hoards include golden artifacts, gem-encrusted figurines, and more. 

Unfortunately but understandably, photography was not permitted in the treasure rooms. Guests were, however, welcome to take pictures at other places in the museum.

One part of the museum was outdoors; a historic Ayutthaya-style teakwood house which housed an exhibit about the archaeological excavations in Ayutthaya.

It was early evening when we left the museum, but we still had a few hours of daylight, and decided to walk to the nearby Royal Elephant Kraal's in-town location.

The Elephant Kraal is a historic location in Ayutthaya. In the past, it is where the royal elephants were raised and trained. Today, it is dedicated to the protection of elephants in Thailand, and does good work rescuing elephants from the logging industry. When we walked up to the kraal, we were immediately greeted by a shrine to Ganesh, the elephant-headed Hindu god of intellectuals and beginnings.

We decided to buy a basket of treats to feed to the elephants. It included some of their favorites: bananas, cucumbers, turnips, and more.

Then, we got to walk to where the elephants were staying to give them their snack. Feeding elephants is super fun! They are amazingly delicate and dexterous with their trunk, which they use like a hand to take the food out of your hand and bring it to their mouth.

I suppose you could go for a short elephant ride around the ruins, but I did not. To be honest, I don't believe in riding elephants, especially if they have the seat on their back. Still, it's amazing to see such awesome animals up close.

We walked back past the historical park, and ended up taking a tuk-tuk the rest of the way back to the Ayutthaya Night Market.

https://michaeldesrosiers.blogspot.com/2022/06/the-ayutthaya-night-market.html

It had been a great day, but after walking around outside in the heat for hours, we were both exhausted. But that's part of the fun of travel, isn't it?

The next morning, we started the day with a hot and delicious bowl of jok, or Thai rice porridge.

https://www.theworldofstreetfood.com/2022/06/jok-or-thai-breakfast-porridge-in.html

Ayutthaya actually has not one but two branches of the National Museum, and after breakfast, we decided to head over to the Chankasem National Museum.

This historic palace was built in 1577 during the reign of King Maha Thammaraja, the 17th King of Ayutthaya. It became a royal residence, but was destroyed and abandoned during the fall of Ayutthaya. 

It has since been rebuilt, and today holds a collection of fascinating artifacts and exhibits related to the royal tools and equipment which were originally used in the palace.

Most interesting to me was the elephant-mounted cannon, which was used in warfare during the Thai-Burmese wars! Can you imagine how terrifying it would have been to have a fully-armed elephant charging at you?

Other buildings at the palace contain everyday objects from the reign of King Rama IV, Buddhist artwork and votive tablets, and more.

Next door to the palace museum was a sort of eco-park which also contained one of the city's numerous old chedis. You could rent tiny one-seater electric vehicles to use to explore the ruins, but we were running out of time, and had to start getting ready to head back to the train station. Maybe next time!

On the way back to the hotel, we passed through the old market in downtown Ayutthaya.

It's a fairly typical local Thai market - very different from the tourist markets or even the night market we had visited the day before. This market is a convenient place for locals to buy everyday objects, as well as food, without having to drive to a supermarket or shopping mall.

Eventually, it was time to go back home. We bought two tickets for the train, and were soon on our way through the beautiful central Thai countryside.

With the wind in our hair, it felt cool, even without air-conditioning. Honestly, riding the train is my absolute favorite way to get around Thailand.