Ayutthaya by Rail

I hadn't been to Ayutthaya, the ancient Siamese capital, in several years, so I was excited when our friend Kat invited Pinky and me to join her and a friend from work on a day trip last week. Neither one of them had ever been to Ayutthaya before, so Pinky and I acted as their guides to take them around the city.

Ayutthaya is about an hour from Bangkok, and we took the 20-baht commuter train from the new Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal, which has replaced the 100-plus year-old Hua Lamphong station as the city's main rail hub.

Even though it was early, it was a hot day, but the breeze through the open windows of the third-class carriage made it feel comfortable.

It was less comfortable as we arrived in Ayutthaya and made our way to the historical park, an area infamous for its dusty fields and lack of shade. To make matters worse, we are very nearly into the hottest part of the year here in Southeast Asia, and by 9:00 it was already over 90 degrees F.

Ayutthaya was once the capital of the Ayutthaya Kingdom and one of the most powerful cities in Southeast Asia. Founded in 1351 by King Ramathibodi I, the city grew into a wealthy international trading hub where merchants from China, Japan, India, Persia, and various European nations came to trade.

Read more: Ayutaya Nihonjin-machi (アユタヤ日本人町) - The Japanese Village, Ayutthaya

In 1767, the city was destroyed during the Burmese-Siamese War when the Burmese army sacked and burned the capital, bringing the kingdom to an end.

After the fall, Siam’s capital eventually moved south first to Thonburi and eventually to Bangkok, and Ayutthaya was left in ruins. Today, the remains form the Ayutthaya Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Thailand’s most important historical destinations.

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of Ayutthaya-era ruins to be found all across the area, but the most important and best-preserved ruins that make up the Ayutthaya Historical Park are located on an island formed by a bend in the Chaophraya River that was once the kingdom's capital.

We ended up visiting Wat Mahathat and Wat Ratchaburana, two of the largest and most impressive ruins. After that, we all agreed that it was getting too hot, so we had lunch at a nearby restaurant and finished up at a trendy cafe for a much-deserved iced coffee before heading back to Bangkok by bus in mid-afternoon.

It was a fun day, but the heat and activity really wore me out. This summer feels hotter than usual and I can tell that everyone is really looking forward to Songkran for a chance to let loose, have fun, and cool down.