Must-see attractions in Ayuthaya

Although there was a temple here in the Ayuthaya era, the present buildings are from the current reign, with the bòht (ordination hall) built by King Rama…

Though it feels staid compared to enchanting local ruins, this museum features model longboats and temples along with exhibitions on the lives of…

Though it's not yet near Indiana Jones levels, forest is slowly reclaiming this attractive ruin. The massive stupa collapsed, but the imposing walls of…

This museum is within the grounds of Wang Chan Kasem (Chan Kasem Palace), built for King Rama IV (r 1851–68) at the site of a palace used by King Naresuan…

Arriving in the 16th century, the Portuguese were the first European settlers in Ayuthaya. Several of their skeletal remains are on view at this excavated…

North of Wat Na Phra Men, where few foreigners venture, this small temple ruin has a mid-sized stupa in pretty good condition and a completely toppled…

In 1665, King Narai gave the French land next to the Christian Vietnamese settlement and donated money towards building the first St Joseph Church, which…

Set within manicured, frangipani-fringed gardens, this small museum complex details the lives of the estimated 1500 Japanese who came to settle in…

A good first stop in Ayuthaya, the historical exhibitions in the former city hall contextualise the kingdom's history and culture from ancient times to…

Originally built under Burmese occupation in the 16th century, the top section of this huge white stupa, whose name means 'Golden Mountain', was added…

Glaring from an enormous marble base is this gigantic statue of King Naresuan, the 16th-century monarch renowned for his efforts to free Ayuthaya from…

Less evocative than the Ayuthaya's other major temples, peaceful Wat Maheyong, built in 1438, sees more meditators than sightseers. The walled corridor…

Think you can tell a spice boat from a sam pan? This interesting little private museum is full of wooden boats, both real and artistic miniatures, many of…

The 6.5m-high, 14m-thick weathered walls of this 1580 fortress once served as Ayuthaya island's primary line of defence. Besides making a good photo-op,…

The field north of Wat Phra Si Sanphet full of brick foundations, walls and little else was once the royal palace compound of the Ayuthaya kingdom. There…

A kitschy, photo-friendly tourist trap rather than an actual market, around 250 food stalls and souvenir stands cluster on wooden platforms above the…

Part of Ayuthaya's old defenses, this now-decrepit fortress wall still has traces of the crenellations where soldiers once crouched during battle.