Thailand Tour Agency

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AYUTTHAYA one day tour from Bangkok you can learn about the history of second capital city of Thailand. more than 400 years,
AYUTTHAYA has been. the capital city of Thai people. Explore ancient ruins of monasteries, Buddhist temples.

Ayutthaya Historical Park to look at the ruins of old temples. Stop at Wat Phra Sri Sanphet in the grounds of the Royal Palace,
Located in the Central Plain, Ayutthaya is 72km. from Bangkok by train, or 82 km by road on the Bangkok – Wangnoi Ayutthaya route.
Topographically, Ayutthaya lies in a river basin. The city itself is almost an island bound on all sides by waterways, viz. the Chao Phraya River
in the west and south, the Pa Sak River in the east and a small water course in the north which had once been the Lop Buri River before
the current switched to the present course. King U-thong made Ayutthaya the capital of his Kingdom in 1350 but the island had already.
been populated by some settlements long before that for some large temples have been found to contain objects that predate the capital.
For instance, the great Buddha image at Wat Phanan Cherng is mentioned in the northern chronicles as having been built in 1324,
some twenty-six years before the founding of the city.
The Kingdom of Ayutthaya lasted 417 years, eventually falling under the Burmese invasion in 1767. The long life of the city could be attributed.
to its well-chosen site. Not only was the city protected on all sides by waterways as well as by strong city walls 20 meters high and 5 meters thick.
but also, the low-lying land in this river basin suffered seasonal floods that precluded a long siege of the city and at the same time fertilized.
the land for rice-planting.

Bang Pa-In Palace at Bang Pa-In there is a small island in the Chao Phraya River on which are settled some households. This was the birthplace.
of one of the late kings of Ayutthaya. When he came to the throne, he dedicated his old home to be a temple, Wat Chumpon Nikayaram, and
built a palace and a take on the Island in 1632 giving the palace the name of “Isawan Thipaya-at Hall” From that time on. Ayutthaya kings used.
to visit Bang Pa-In regularly as it was an easy distance from the capital.
There was no visit from Bangkok king to Bang Pa-In until the reign of King Rama IV. This king paid several visits to Ayutthaya and once he
stopped at Bang Pa-In. He found both the palace and the lake in dilapidated condition, though the wooden structure was still good,
and the mango groves looked cool and pleasant. A restoration program was started. Extending to included Wat Chumpon Nikayaram as well.
King Rama V was a frequent visitor to Bang Pa-In. He built several new Halls and entertained his royal visitors from overseas here.
Today the buildings see all date back to his reign.

Wat Phra Si Sanphet this temple was the largest and most beautiful in Ayutthaya, equivalent to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok.
It was built next to the royal palace, was used exclusively for royal religious functions, and contained no living quarters for monks.
About one century after King U-thong found Ayutthaya, King Borom Trai Lokanat built a new palace at a site a little further north and dedicated.
the old palace ground to be a temple. His son and successor built a standing Buddha image in gold which was named “Phra Si Sanphet” because.
the image was placed in this temple, this later became the name of the temple as well. The three large stupas in the temple contained the relics.
of King Borom Tri Lokanat and his two sons. Also, king of Ayutthaya

VIHAN PHRA MONGKHON BOPHIT Si Sanphet, this Vihan is the focal point for visitors as it is easily reached and has a large parking space.
The vihan holds a large image of Buddha subduing the Mara which is known as Phra Mongkol Bophit. The image is 12.45m high and has a knee span width.
of 9.55m. It was built with brick and plaster and was covered with bronze 3-4inches thick.
Just when the image was built is not known. From the art style it should belong to the early Ayutthaya period for there are clear traits of both U-thong
and Sukhothai Styles, In any case. A chronicle mention that the image was moved by royal order from a site east of the royal palace to the present site in 1603.
When the vihan was burnt down during the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767. The roof fell on the image, damaging the head and the right arm. The image was repaired.
by King Rama V of Bangkok but the vihan was left as it was until a major restoration program was launched in 1955 by joint contributions of the Thai and
the Burmese governments. The design as seen today is the work of Fine Arts Department. The restoration was completed in 1958.

WAT MAHA THAT The temple was built by either the second or the fourth king of Ayutthaya to be the shrine for holy relics of the Buddha: Bence its name.
When the Fine Arts Department undertook restorations at the temple, it found several antiquities in the prang crypt among which were holy relics of
the Buddha. The relics were placed within seven miniature stupas, one inside the other, with the outermost in the shape of a stone urn with a lid.
The prang at Wat Maha That is generally regarded as the earliest example of the Ayutthaya prang and still has marked traits of the Khmer style.
The prang tower is laterite in the lower part and brick and mortar in the top part, probably representing restored sections.