Ayutthaya - July 25, 2010

Went to Ayutthaya today. Ayutthaya is the ancient capital of Thailand and had its heyday during the 14th to 18th centuries. Today, it’s a popular tourist spot – one of those “not-to-be-missed” places in Thailand – and a UNESCO World Heritage site because of all the ruins.

Because it’s a popular spot and only about an hour or so north of Bangkok, there are lots of ways to get there – train, bus, tours from all the major hotels, even a boat up the Chao Praya River. But, I didn’t do any of those. I went by minivan – yes, minivan. A fellow at work had said that the easiest way to get there is to take a minivan from the Victory Monument traffic circle. (If you were feeling generous, you could say that Victory Monument is Bangkok’s version of Place de la Concorde.) A quick check of my guidebook confirmed this, so why not?


So, this morning I took the Skytrain to the Victory Monument stop. And yes, there were a lot of minivans all around. So far, so good. But, they don’t all go to Ayutthaya – some go to Pattaya, some to Ratchaburi, and some to Hua Hin. Hadn’t counted on that. But I eventually find one heading to Ayutthaya and the driver says “60 baht.” Which is about $2 and is what the guidebook said it would cost. The guidebook also said that the only wrinkle is that they wait until they’re full before leaving. So, the driver slides open the door and I see that there are only two seats left. While I’m paying, another fellow shows up so we’re good to go. Of course, it’s me and 14 other Thai people. I somehow had the illusion that there would be other tourists in the van, but nope, not a one. I am the only “farang” – foreigner.

We work our way out of Victory Monument circle and then onto the highway. I am immediately reminded of John McPhee’s description of traffic coming in and out of the Holland Tunnel as “an exercise in particle physics.” The lanes on the highway seem more to be suggestions than actual boundaries between vehicles. Yes, there are three lanes but that doesn’t mean we can’t squeeze another car in between. And if there’s any empty space, it won’t be empty for long – someone will put his car, taxi, truck, bus, or minivan there right away. But, somehow it all works. We stop twice at what seem like completely random points along the highway and someone gets out, but eventually we arrive in Ayutthaya.

The present city of Ayutthaya is nothing special and not worth spending any time in. The only reason to go is for the ruins. The ruins are extensive and spread out over several square miles, so walking isn’t really feasible. You can hire guides to take you around via taxi or tuk-tuk, but I’m not really into being led around. But, my trusty guidebook recommended that the best way to see the ruins is to rent a bicycle – which is what I did. And it was a very smart move. There are brick bike paths throughout and you can easily get from ruin to ruin. And you can avoid the crowds, who all arrive at the same time from buses in the car parks.

The ruins are stunning and are all from temples and other religious buildings because, in the Thai tradition at the time, only religious buildings were made of stone. Homes were made of wood, so they haven’t lasted. And because Ayutthaya was the capital from 1350 to 1767, you can see the different eras and influences in the architecture.

So, after about 4 hours of biking and taking lots of photos, I biked back to the shop, returned the bike, found another minvan heading back to Victory Monument and made the return trip. Again, I was the only non-Thai in the van, but that was part of the fun. Most of them fell asleep anyway, so it wouldn’t have mattered if they could speak English or not.