Ayutthaya I

On the death of King Ramkhamhaeng in 1298, the first capital of Siam, Sukhothai, went into decline. In 1350, the city of Ayutthaya was started, on a small island of the Chao Phraya River. A year later the Kingdom of Siam was founded under the rule of U-Thong or King Ramathibodi I. The first photo below shows the Chao Phraya today, on it's journey to Bangkok, about 70 km downstream.

Ayutthaya became a great city, and was the capital of Thailand for 417 years. During this time, the kingdom extended across Thailand and modern day Laos, Cambodia and Burma.

The city contains some spectacular ruins that give you a sense of what an amazing city it must have been in its heyday.

The photos below show Wat Ratchaburana

The city is a good day trip from Bangkok, although on this particular occasion it was one of the hottest days in an otherwise unseasonably cool April.

This Wat was built in 1424 and it has undergone a lot of restoration. The large towers are a combination of the Khmer style prang (shaped like a corn cob) that you see in Angkor and Sukhothai style chedi (bell shaped).

Opposite Wat Ratchaburana is Wat Phra Mahathat.

The small size of the island makes it easy to get around, either on foot or by Tuk Tuk or maybe in true Thai style - on the back of an elephant.

More history and photos next time....

Thailand by Train

Travelling on a train in Thailand is an unique experience. Most journeys start at Bangkok's majestic central station called Hua Lamphong, which has been operating since 1916.

The station is located near the Chinatown part of the city and the tall tower of Wat Traimit dominates the skyline just nearby.

I have taken a couple of train trips recently, one to Ayutthaya and the other to the Cambodian border. The train trip to Ayutthaya was meant to leave at 11:20 am and finally at about 12:10 pm our train pulled into the platform.

The trip takes about an hour an a half and cost all of 50 cents for the third class seats. It is a pretty good way to travel, although slow and a little unreliable. The following photos are taken from the train along the way.

The other main way to get around the country is by bus. I put this photo in the show you the colourful artwork that many of the buses are adorned with.

The train itself it reasonably comfortable, although on the journey home we did not get a seat as it was already full coming from northern Thailand. A conductor comes through and checks your tickets and there are food and drink vendors to keep you happy.

It's a good way for the monk of the 21st Century to travel.

At Ayutthaya itself you find a charming little station. Here is the crowd waiting as the return train pulls into the platform. This train was almost 2 hours late.

The trip to Cambodia is a longer ordeal - about 6 hours but it is quite comfortable, avoids the traffic and it cost only $1.60! The remaining photos show some of the farms along the track.

Phuket 2 - The Island

Phuket is about 800 kilometres south of Bangkok, a little over an hour by plane. With an area of 540 square kilometres it is home to many Thai people and there are lots of other beautiful beaches and sights.

Just south of Patong are the beaches of Karon and Kata, a little less crowded and a bit cleaner than Patong and popular with tourists with many cheap resorts.

To the north of Patong are some of the more exclusive resorts and the more isolated beaches of Kammala and Surin.

There is lots of green on Phuket and plenty of decent sized mountains. On top of one of them at the southern end of the island is the Big Buddha which sits about 45 metres high.

 

The view from the top was a bit hazy but still spectacular

The largest of Phuket's 29 wats is Wat Chalong. It was built in the early 19th century.

The wat is part of a complex that contains many beautiful buildings.

 

There are also some fine sculptures and murals.

Ultimately, you come to Phuket to let the hours drift away, recharge the batteries and enjoy the beautiful warm weather and water and the fantastic food. Just don't be in a hurry...

Phuket 1 - Patong

The largest and one of the most popular tourist islands of Thailand is Phuket, in the southern part of the country on the Andaman Coast. A week's holiday during the Songkran festivities at the bustling Patong Beach was a great way to unwind after 13 weeks straight of school.

Patong is quite a nice beach and the water is pretty clean. It is a hive of activity, lined with deck chairs, food and drink vendors and jet skiing and para sailing operators.

You go down to the beach, pick your spot, pay for your chairs for the day and get waited upon.

Phuket is located on the western coast of Thailand and is a stop for the cruise ships such as this one anchored in the bay.

The photos that follow show some more shots of Patong Beach.

Patong was very crowded for the Songkran holiday, combined with the Australian school holidays. There was lots of traffic and people and Australian accents.

 

Patong also has a couple of huge shopping malls to escape the heat for an hour or so and grab a coffee. Here I am at "Jungceylon" complete with Pirate Ship.

The hotel pool was also a good place - especially to get away from the crowds and the noise!

Of course there is nothing like watching the sun go down while sitting on the beach. Both the locals and the tourists enjoy this.