Ready to continue on with our travels in Thailand? We now leave Bangkok and head about 80 km North. The next stop I’d like to share with you is our first visit to a Unesco World Heritage Site called Ayutthaya.
Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya was the second and most prosperous capital of Siam, founded in 1350. Ayutthaya was an international trading port friendly towards foreign traders including Vietnamese, Chinese, Indians, Japanese and Persians until it was destroyed by the Burmese in 1767.
The ruins of the old city are now called the Ayutthaya Historical Park, an archaeological site that contains palaces, Buddhist temples, monasteries and statues.
In the sixteenth century, it was described by foreign traders as one of the biggest and wealthiest cities in the East. Ambassadors of King Louis XIV of France compared the city of Ayutthaya in size and wealth to Paris.
We arrived in Ayutthaya in time to enjoy the sunset at Chai Wattanaram Temple. This temple was built by King Prasat Tong, who was actually a commoner who overthrew the previous king and took his throne.
This is a lovely place to take in the nature and peace of Siam.
What a beautiful evening to see our first Unesco World Heritage Site and our first sights of Thailand outside of Bangkok.
Though I found it amazing to hear about the history and see all the remains left from so long ago, I must admit, just watching the beautiful Thai people living their lives at the night markets had as much appeal to me.
Tonight we visit a local night market for dinner and where I have the BEST mango and sticky rice EVER!!
Next stop on our tour….another Unesco World Heritage Site – Sukhothai.
Stay Tuned…..
Missed the beginning of our trip to Thailand & Cambodia? Start here to begin the journey.
