Things To Do In Ayutthaya – Budget Travel In Thailand

Ayutthaya is a historical town that was, for over 400 years, the capital of Siam before it was destroyed by the Burmese in the 18th century. The Ayutthaya Historical Park is listed as a World Heritage Site.

Ayutthaya is famous for its ancient Siamese ruins, but they are not all it has to offer. The city also offers interesting museums, night markets selling delicious Thai food, floating markets and the opportunity to mix with locals as they go about their everyday lives.

Things To Do In Ayutthaya

Ayuuthaya Temples

There are numerous temples dotted all over Ayutthaya; some working temples and some ruins. If you head to Rama public park, you will see a mixture of both.  Perhaps the most famous of these is ‘Wat Maha That’ (map) which is the home off the buddha head in the tree. As you walk in the main entrance, turn right and you will see a big tree with dozens of tourists pointing cameras at it. This is the tree you are looking for. The temple is visually stunning and arguably the best in this area, though Wat Ratburana is also worthy of your attention.

‘Wat Thammikkarat’ is a temple housing a reclining Buddha. It is an active temple so be extra careful to follow the rules as there are monks at every turn. This one is 20 baht but there are donation boxes scattered all over. Map.

‘Wat Yai Chaimongkhol’ is a temple situated further out of the city. We decided to walk but the 35 minute trek in the heat might be too much for some so a taxi may be preferable. It is a breathtaking temple (be sure to take your camera) that is definitely worth the extra travel. Map.

Ayutthaya National Art Museum/Tourist Centre

To the west of Rama Park, we came across a huge building that housed both the ‘Ayutthaya National Art Museum’ and ‘Ayutthaya Tourist Centre’. There was literally nobody in either when we visited. It is free admission and is well worth a visit, particularly the Tourist Centre which offers a useful insight into the history and culture Ayutthaya and its people. The museum is open 9 – 4 every day except Wednesday. Map.

Bang Ian Market

‘Bang Ian’ night market has the usual mix of clothes and food and is very popular amongst the locals. There is some great choice of food here but a lot of it is of the ‘take home’ variety, meaning it comes in plastic bags, unheated and very difficult to eat on the go. Because of this, I opted for chicken which was delicious and cheap. As is the norm with Thailand, despite the massive quantities of single-use plastic, there are hardly any bins. When I did find a bin to discard my chicken bones in, it turned out to be the clean water of a food vendor, used to wash dishes. Oops, sorry about that! The market is open 4 – 9 pm every day. Map.

Chao Phrom Ayutthaya Market

‘Chao Phrom’ market is the main market in Ayutthaya and is the first one you will come across after departing the ferry. Here you will mix with locals buying meat, fish, fruit & veg and all other essentials. There are also lots of street food vendors where you can buy cheap food. I had a mussel pancake here for 40 baht which was very tasty and a great start to the day. You can also be a bit more adventurous and try local delicacies such as ‘blood soup’. The market is open from 5 am to 9 pm every day except Tuesday when it closes at 6 pm. Map.

Hua Ro Night Market

‘Hua Ro’ night market is well off the beaten path; it felt like we were the only tourists. Don’t worry about this in Thailand. We experienced nothing but smiles and a welcoming attitude in every place we visited. The market has a very social atmosphere and has lots of food vendors and also musicians. The market is open from 5 – 9 pm, Mon – Fri. Map.

Krungsi Market

Behind the Tourist Centre, we discovered ‘Krungsri Market’ (map). Unfortunately, it was mostly closed. We discovered it is a weekend night market only. It looks more developed than your average night market and I imagine it could be a decent night out, though there didn’t appear to be any alcohol outlets. The market opens 4 – 10 pm, Fri – Sun.

Million Toy Museum

The ‘Million Toy Museum’ is a great way to spend an hour or so. They have 2 floors displaying toys from all over the world and across the decades. With some of the toys on display, it is no wonder children have nightmares! The Million Toy Museum is open every day except Monday and admission is 100 Baht. Map.

Is Ayutthaya Worth Visiting?

Overall, we spent 3 nights in Ayutthaya and I think this is an ideal time. Any less would seem rushed, though many do visit as a day trip from Bangkok. Enjoy the temples and the markets and then chill out with a few beers on ‘foreigner street’. It is a very pretty city and well worth a visit.