20090306 - Ayutthaya

With the help of my friend's employee (thai), she translated our itinerary into thai for us. According to her, most of the taxi driver do not know English so it's better to have it written in Thai. She adviced us to take taxi to Ayutthaya because it's more convenience and easy. It cost around 1500 baht. Later we decided to go by bus.

Her driver drove us to the nearest BTS skytrain station - Thong Lo station. We took the BTS until the last station - Mo Chit station. From there we're suppose to take the bus to Ayutthaya. We asked around, but ended up taking taxi. We bargain until 1200 Baht for round trip to Bang Pa-In Summer Palace (พระราชวังบางปะอิน) and Ayutthaya (อาณาจักรอยุธยา) - Wat Mahathat (วัดมหาธาตุ), Wat Na Phra Mane() and Wat Lokayasutharam(วัดโลกยสุธาราม).

Once inside the taxi, both of us were so tired and we just fall aslept. Since the taxi driver don't know much english, it's better for us to save our energy sleeping. We was awaken when he stopped to pump gas. Then he started to introduce some of the attraction on the way. We can only answer as if we understand what he was saying.

It was so hot in Bangkok. We almost melted when we got down from the taxi and walked to Bang-Pa Inn Summer Palace. I was not allowed to get in with sleeveless shirt. I just rent a yellow shirt from there which was smelly due to sweat and hot weather :(

We took around 2 hours to walk around the palace as it's really huge and nice. It was built during the Ayutthaya era, beautifully decorated in both traditional Thai, Chinese and European style building.

Ho Haem Montien Devaraj or "The Shrine of King Prasart Thong" is the place where the statue of King Prasart Thong was placed. It was built at the command of H.M. King Chulalongkom, Rama V under the Bodhi Tree by the pond. Today, people stop at Ho Haem Montien Devaraj to pay homage to the statue of King Prasart Thong.

Aisawan-Dhipaya-Asana Pavilion is a miniature pavilion hall built in the style of four-balcony after the architecture of Aphonbimoka Prasart Pavilion in the Grand Palace initiated by H.M. King Chulalongkorn, Rama V in 1872.

Phra Thinang Varobhas Bimarn (Varobhas Bimarn Residential Hall) is a Neo-Classic style one storey mantion built by H.M. King Chulalongkorn, Rama V, in 1872 on the spot where H.M. King Mongkut, Rama IV used to keep his residence.

Sabakarn Rajaprayoon Residential Hall is a Colonial style by H.M. King Chulalongkorn, Rama V as a gift for his brother, his son, His Royal Highness Prince Maha Vajirunhit, and other members of the outer court stayed.

Phra Thinang Uthayan Phumisathian is a two-storey Swiss Chalet built on 1877. The residence was panted in two toned of green. The decor shows a significant influence by European style dating from King Naperleon III.

Bubpa Prapas Pavilion is a single storey wooden building in European architecture which renders in its nickname "lace (ginger bread) building" by H.M. Chulalongkorn, Rama V at 1881.

Phra Thinang Wehart Chamrun (Wehart Chamrun Residential Hall) is another two storey building in Chinese architecture completed in 1889. The residence bears the Chinese characters of "Tien Meng Teui" meaning the clear sky residence in the vernacular.

Ho Withun Thasana (Withun Thasana) is a mixed European style building painted in yellow and red was built in 1881. The dodecahedral three storey tower is 30 meters in height with a crescent roof. A total of 112 steps on the spiral staircase is required to reach the top.

When we finished tour around Bang Pa-Inn Summer Palace, I can felt the heat almost burned me down. We're so relieved to find the driver still waiting outside. When we sit on the seat, we almost jumped up because the leather seat was so hot. The driver was laughing at us. He introduced us the paddy field, the train station on our way to Ayutthaya... (all in thai)

Ayutthaya is the capital of Thailand for 417 years and has been registered as one of the world heritage by UNESCO.

The driver stopped us at a wat which is pretty similar to Angkor Wat - Wat Chaiwatthanaram (วัดไชยวัฒนาราม). It is one of the most imposing ancient Buddhist monasteries, established by the command of King Prasatthong in 1630 A.D. to make merit for his mother. In 1767 A.D., Ayutthaya the capital of Thailand, was besieged by Burmese invaders and the Wat became an army camp. After the fall of Ayutthaya, Wat Chaiwatthanaram was abandoned. Looting, the decapitation of Buddha images, and the selling brick from the Wat became command practices.

The driver bring us around Ayutthaya town (he was lost) and found alot of people riding elephant. The driver kept on saying "Chiang" and sing a song which consists alot of "Chiang" words. Later only found out that "Chiang" refer to elephant. Haha......

He stopped again at Wat Mahathat which make us a bit confius. Initially thought the first wat we visited was Wat Mahathat... It's almost similar to Wat Chaiwatthanaram. We just moved around in super speed this time.

The most special is the Loard Buddha's head found among the Bodhi's tree root with no trace of the body.

Here come our nice and sincere taxi driver. This time he moved around with us instead of waiting in the car. He told us that those Buddha's sculpture without head was due to Thai-Burmese war. It was almost completely destroyed compare to Wat Chaiwatthanaram.





We went to Wat-Naphrameru which is a temple constructed during the reign of King Ramadhibodi II the tenth king of Ayutthaya dynasty. When we reached there it was a bit too late and the main temple was already closed. We just managed to go around but we managed to saw the three thousand year old black stone carved Buddha.

Our last visit was Wat-Lokayasutharam which feature a huge clining Buddha image - Phra Bhuddhasaiyart, which faces to the east. It is 37 meters long and 8 meters high. The head is placed on a lotus, and the legs overlap squarely to show the equalized toes.

We fall asleep again on our journey back to Bangkok. At last we decided to pay him 1500 baht.

Later at night my friend brought us to one of the pub there. She teaches us how to drink the famous Thai rum - 'Sangsom' or known as Thai whisky. She mixed the 'Sangsom' rum with soda and 'Shark'. When she told us to mix with 'Shark', both of us was wondering how to mix 'Shark' into the liquor??? Looking puzzle... Later found out 'Shark' is just a kind of red bull energy drink. According to her this is how most of the Thai drink 'Sangsom'. I'm not really good with liquor, just one glass, my face turned out red and looks like drunken already.

She ordered 2 side dishes - fried cashew nut, garlic, dry prawn, nuts, lemon grass and friend chicken wings. It was really nice snack to go with the 'Sangsom' rum.

I slept soundly that night because too exhausted and the effect of drinking liquor as well.

Bang Pa-In Summer Palace

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Admission Fee : 100 Baht (tourist)
Operation Hours : 08:00 am ~ 05:00 pm

Website : http://www.palaces.thai.net/bp/index.htm

Photos : http://picasaweb.google.com/luckyin.lee/Ayutthaya20090306#
Reference : Taken from Bang Pa-In Palace, Ayutthaya book