As Ayutthaya is only a 90 minute train ride from Bangkok, it is a popular destination from Thailand’s capital city.
Many travellers head to Chiang Mai after arriving in Bangkok. There are many cheap flights available daily. We decided to take a sleeper train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Ayutthaya is on the route so we decided to have a longer stay to experience the and is on the sleeper train route so spending a few nights here remained an option. We decided on a longer stay so we could experience the Ayuuthaya temples at a slower pace.
How To Get To Ayutthaya From Bangkok
The journey from Bangkok to Ayutthaya is very easy. There are buses but we decided to go by train. There are many trains leaving Hua Lamphong Train Station during the day so there is no real need to book in advance. The train journey costs just 15 baht each! As is usual with Thai trains, vendors will walk up and down the train selling snacks and drinks throughout your journey.
Check the following form for current transport information:
How To Get To Ayutthaya City From The Train Station
It is important you read this section so you don’t make the same mistake we did upon our arrival in Kanchanaburi.
The old city of Ayutthaya is an island and the train station is located outside the island. Google maps is unaware of the river boat so sends you on a long walk when you can be in the heart of the old town in minutes.
Tuktuk Haggling
As soon as you leave the train station, you will be approached by many tuktuks, all desperate for your business. We had decided to walk, heavy bags and all, so we politely declined and carried on. The directions, however, take you over a bridge that connects Ayutthaya to all incoming traffic. It wasn’t the nicest walk and we couldn’t find how to get on to it! As if by magic, a tuktuk slowly pulled up beside us and asked where we wanted to go. We said no but he knew we looked lost so remained. “100 baht to your hotel,” he offered. This is where my ‘expert’ haggling skills came in to play.
“Too much,” I replied.
“How much you want to pay?”
“50.”
“I’ll take you for 80.”
“No. Too much. We just paid 30 baht to get both of us from Bangkok to here.”
Take that, tuktuk man. Think you can rip me off?
So, we tried to work out where we needed to walk. We couldn’t find it and it was hot and we had heavy bags and… he was still there!
“80 then?”
I suppose I had got 20 baht discount. Go me! It was only when I discovered that you can hire a tuktuk for an hour for 100 baht that I realised he had got himself a very good deal.
Boat From Ayutthaya Train Station To The Old Town
Now, what we SHOULD have done is walked straight ahead upon leaving the station and walk past a few restaurants to the river where there is a boat that will take you across the river and right into the heart of the old town for just 5 baht. This is what you should do if you are staying in the old town. You’re welcome!
Where To Stay In Ayutthaya
Click here for all accommodation in Ayutthaya!
These are some of the best budget hostels in Ayutthaya, according to user reviews. These are affiiate links to the agoda web site. I found Agoda to be much better than booking.com in Southeast Asia. I receive a small amount for any bookings made through these links at no extra cost to you.
- Early Bird Hostel
- Moradok Thai Guesthouse
- Sleepaholic
- PK Hostel
- 11:11 Hostel
- Nakara Hostel
- Plus Hostel
- Baan Choeng Tha
- Sao Wa Luck Guesthouse
- Siriwal Guesthouse
Stockhome Hostel Ayutthaya
We had booked to stay at the Stockhome Hostel as it had good reviews, looked great and is located just 5 minutes walk from all the Ayutthaya temples. Check in was easy and we were shown to our room which was on the top floor.
Stockhome Hostel
The room was a good size and had its own bathroom and a balcony. The hostel has a nice chill out area downstairs where you can laze in a hammock or sit and chill to the music from the reception. That the WiFi passwords are all Beatles songs should give you an idea of the type of place this is. There is a guitar, books and board games (though, annoyingly the guitar disappeared after only one day to be used in the music bar next door). On the first floor, there is a widescreen TV and a very good DVD collection, should you wish to stay in and watch a movie.
It’s a very cool hostel though I sometimes felt the staff were a little TOO laidback. Our sink was blocked and gave off a weird smell. We told them about this but nothing was done. We also stored our bags in reception after checkout and when we returned to get them, there was no one there so we just helped ourselves. It could have been anyone helping themselves to our stuff. It does seem this way in Thailand though. Most hostels just tell you to leave your stuff in unsecured areas. It’s as if the thought that anybody would steal anything simply doesn’t occur to them!
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Click here to book a stay at ‘Stockhome Hostel’
