Ayutthaya has become a popular heritage site to visit and do some photography of these history-filled sites! Ayutthaya is an ancient city where you can explore the ruins of monasteries, beautiful palaces, and Buddhist temples. Historic City of Ayutthaya Founded c. 1350, Ayutthaya became the second Siamese capital after Sukhothai. It was destroyed by the Burmese in the 18th century. Its remains, characterized by the prang (reliquary towers) and Buddhist monasteries of monumental proportions, which give an idea of the city’s past size and the splendor of its architecture. Certainly, when the capital of the restored kingdom was moved to Bangkok, there was a conscious attempt to recreate the urban template and architectural form of Ayutthaya. Many of the surviving architects and builders from Ayutthaya were brought in to work on building the new capital.   Explore Temples in Ayutthaya 1. Wat Phra Si Sanphet It was the most important temple in the Ayutthaya Kingdom built by King U Thong. Being part of the Royal Palace complex, the very large monastery with dozens of structures was used by Ayutthaya Kings only; it was a Royal temple without resident monks. So this is not actually like a temple, or open for public. It was built to be the king’s private chapel.  The main attraction here is the three grand pagodas standing adjacent to each other. These pagodas contain the ashes of three kings. Restoration work is under progress.    Opening Hours: Daily from 08.00 am – 05.00 pm   Admins Admission is 50 Baht.   2. Wat Phra Ram The outstanding archaic construction of this temple is the great pagoda that is in pretty good condition and is surrounded by many other pagodas and stupas in medium and small sizes. At the back of Phra Ram Temple, there is a big pond, which is a public park now. There is also a walking path to Wat Mahathat.  Opening Hours: Daily from 08.00 am – 06.00 pm   Admins Admission is 30 Baht.   3. Wat Mahathat The highlight of visiting this temple is seeing a Buddha head entwined in the roots of a tree. No one knows exactly how it got there, but one theory suggests that during the period of ruin, the tree just happened to grow around the head of the Buddha. Mahathat is also one of the temples where you can see the Ubosot, Viharan, and library. Go early if you intend to avoid the crowd. It is a bigger complex than any temple that you will visit.  Opening Hours: Daily from 08.00 am – 05.00 pm   Admins Admission is 50 Baht.   4. Wat Ratchaburana Right after Wat Mahatat, This temple was the symbolic center of the old city and one of the few pagodas that you can climb and see the inside of the pagoda. Wat Ratchaburana was built following Khmer design concepts and to house the ashes of his two brothers. Its design resembles the early mountain temples of Angkor. The monastery faces East, the direction of the rising sun. Many more priceless objects were discovered that are now exhibited at the nearby Chao Sam Phraya National Museum.  Opening Hours: Daily from 08.00 am – 05.00 pm   Admins Admission is 50 Baht.   5. Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon The highlight of the monastery is its very large imposing prang dominating the area. This is one of the temples where the Buddha statues’ have a head still intact, the chedi is up, you can climb up the chedi and see what it is like inside and all of that. Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon is still an active temple; monks live in Kuti on the grounds.  Opening Hours: Daily from 08.00 am – 05.00 pm   Admins Admission is 20 Baht.   6. Wat Phanan Choeng Wat Phanan Choeng is famous for its colossal golden seated Buddha image, You’ll notice many smaller Buddha statues around the huge one, each one representing a personal donation to the temple. It was onsidered to be one of the most beautiful in the country. The temple is located on the banks of the Pa Sak river opposite the South East tip of the historical island. From a riverboat, you will have great views of the monastery, that also has a boat landing.    Opening Hours: Daily from 08.00 am – 05.00 pm   Admins Admission is 20 Baht. Kindly informing:  Temple is called Wat in Thai.