Ayutthaya was the capital of Thaylan (or Siam as it was called) between 1351 and 1767, before falling under the rule of Burma and the Thai capital moved to Bangkok. Ayutthaya was unusually open to strangers who were allowed to set up their stands right outside the city wall, which lead to many merchants from China, Vietnam, India, Japan and Persia, with later additions of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French. This made Ayutthaya become one of the easts most powerful and rich cities in the 16th century. This was especially true during the reign of king Narai, who strengthened the relationships with French and King Louis XIV, whose diplomats compared the city with Paris both by size and wealth.
In mid-16th century the kingdom also included some towns on the Malaysian peninsula on the territory of today Thailand and parts of Cambodia.
Despite the fact the people of Ayutthaya called themselves Tai and the kingdom was Krung Tai, the world got to know them as Siam.
Ayutthaya is only 80 km away from Bangkok and is a great destination for a day trip from the capital, with good public transport connections. You don’t need a tourist agency for the visit, as the historical part is really well marked and there are audio guides around the old town, which is best described as very well preserved ruins. Still they testify to the greatness of the city and its power and wealth.
There is also another thing you can do, as Ayutthaya still remains a big city. For many this would be unusual, but you can see the city from the elephant’s back, that take you around the sites in a huge basket.
While visiting the city, you must not miss the statue of the lying Buddha or the tree with a face.
Ayutthaya is, as mentioned, only 80 kilometer away from Bangkok and there are buses and trains connecting the cities. You should take the northern most station if you plan to take the bus (which you can reach by city train). It’s possible to reach it from other stations as well, but you’re more likely to be stuck in Bangkok city traffic for over an hour, before you really start to move.
You can even rent a car, from 20€ a day forth. If you decide to do that, I truly suggest you connect the trip with a visit to one of the national parks and see one of the many waterfalls, which also offer a good swim – so don’t forget your swimming suit!
Muang Kanchanaburi is the capital of the Kanchanaburi province and a city where rivers Kwai Noi and Kwai Yai join the Mekong. It is an important strategic point, which was extremely important during WWII. Thailand was under Japanese occupation and the Japanese needed supply line between Malaysia peninsula and Burma to west. The city of Kanchanaburi was made in 18th century and is close to the border with Burma. It was made as a defensive point, which later in WWII again had an important role. To connect the railway to Burma, you need to cross the Kwai River. There were plans for that before WWII already, but the project was almost impossible without slave force (the terrain, heat, moist…). The Japanese started building this in secrecy, for they had enough forced work force in prisoners of war, mostly USA and UK prisoners. The numbers best describe how difficult the project was – as over 100.000 POWs died and were mostly buried by the tracks. Thus the line got a nickname the »Death railway«. The biggest obstacle was still the River Kwai itself, which the railroad crosses at the city of Kanchanaburi. The story was interesting for movie makers also and that is how a famous Oscar awarded movie – The Bridge on the River Kwai was filmed.
The bridge became the sight of the city, you can walk over it or take the train… and next to it is a museum and even a cemetery, for most of the bodies that were found along the rails were reburied with respects at this memorial site.
Even without the bridge, you should still visit Kanchanaburi. The best way to visit it is by train, taking you on the Death railway and the Thai railways will also organize a whole day trip with stops along the river. Kanchanaburi is just 140km away from Bangkok.
But military history is not the only thing why you should visit Kanchanaburi. Some 40 kilometers further there’s a tiger shelter named Tiger temple, which offers shelter to tigers and other wild animals.
Tiger temple was founded by the Buddhist monks, who took in a few tigers that would not survive in nature. The monks took the tigers as if they were their own and lived in harmony with them. When the story appeared in media the number of tigers rose and the monks opened the temple to those, who wanted to see the harmony of people and tigers. Most tigers were brought in from captivity, as many people tried to house-train tigers in a house or even apartment. As the costs grew, the monks decided to open the temple to tourists, so the entrance fees can be used to help the tigers. There are over 100 of these majestic cats in the temple and a few dozen of other animals (among them also a bear).
The temple is special, as the tigers grew up with the monks and volunteers and thus they accept humans as a regular thing. With basic ticket you can even pay extra to get to feed the bears or play with tigers. Yes, you read it right! Escorted by the personnel, you are equipped with sticks with toys and in a pool you can play together with tiger as though they were your everyday tom cats. OK, they’re just a bit bigger (150-200 kilos) and can jump a few meters high. After this experience you can feed the tigers, wash them with shampoo and take pictures with them.
If any of you are interested to work as a volunteer at the tiger temple, you should read the following
LINK, where you’ll get more information on how to spend half a year or just a month as a volunteer working with tigers.
If you want to combine the tiger temple, Kanchanaburi and the bridge on the River Kwai, and maybe a visit to the floating market, I suggest you to rent a car, or contact one of many tourist agencies in Bangkok, which offer exactly such a package.
Pattaya – much more than the capital of fun
Pattaya is a city that is 160 kilometres south of the Thai capital of Bangkok and got known in the last few years as the party capital with vivid night life, but Pattaya offers a lot more.
In Pattayi you will find the sanctuary of truth, which is a 100m and more tall wooden construction, which displays the respect and coexistence of the Khmer, Buddhist and Hindu cultures. The beginning of the project dates back to the eighties as a response to the tensions of cold war. The cold war between USA and USSR had a huge impact in the South-Eastern Asia as most of the wars taking place in this part of the world were due to the power struggle of the opposing super powers.
As this is a private project of a Thai businessman the entrance is rather expensive (500 THB, which is 12 EUR) but is well worth a visit. It’s unique building and could be compared to Gaudi’s Holy Family church in Barcelona, which was never finished – but with a small difference. The sanctuary has the end date set, to be finished in 2025. But don’t let that change your mind about visiting the unique wooden construction.
As with other cities of this part of the world, the floating market is one of the must visit sites. It’s where local producers sell things to passers-by. But in Pattaya it is mostly tourists who visit the market, which has therefore lost some of its authenticity and the traditional items were replaced by tourist souvenirs.
Pattaya also features a special place that is a rhapsody of beauty, colours and smells, which offers you a one in a life time experience. It is the Nong Nooch – a tropical botanical garden, stretching out over 2 square kilometres of land. The owners first bought it, to set up a plantation, but decided to join the project of preserving biodiversity instead and have preserved many tropical plants and flowers, protecting them from possible extinction. Special attention is dedicated to Sagoyas, which are also studied by botanists, coming to do their scientific work to the garden. Otherwise there are also thematic gardens which feature the French garden, the Orchid garden and a cactus garden, with a few more to booth.
Despite everything mentioned, Pattaya still remains known as the party city. Masses of tourists boosted the number of bars and restaurants, clubs and discos, and you can feel the sense of floating markets on the beaches, as vendors from shops and bars bring anything the tourists’ desire straight to them. A Thai massage is also well known and there are many parlours. It’s a special feeling, getting a foot massage with a refreshing (non-alcoholic) beverage. Unfortunately Pattaya is also known for the oldest trade in the world, which is represented a lot throughout Thailand, but in Pattaya it really does become bothersome for un-horny tourists.
There is a huge beach in Pattaya, but it doesn’t resemble what you usually see on Thai postcards. The most beautiful beaches are to the south, on islands like the Phi Phi. So Pattaya is a place that does offer some attractions, which makes it a good day trip, or maybe a two day trip, while you’re staying in Bangkok.
In the end, let me give you a few tips, where you can spend the night safely and budget friendly, while sleeping in Thailand. I guess most of you heard of the Bangkok Hilton movie, where you can follow the discovery of drugs and where that leads to. Real life is not as dramatic as that, still you should always be cautious. That is why I suggest you get to know Thailand through the network of their youth hostels, and here’s the official site to find them
www.youth-hostel.si, or if you prefer through their national site:
www.tyha.org. But first you need to get there and that isn’t always the easiest part. With some guidance and advice you can find price worthy tickets for many airlines taking you to Bangkok. If you’re not used to ticket hunting, you should read this article first: "
The art of searching for cheap flight fares".
And have a nice journey!
