Mysterious Ayutthaya on a full-day tour

Ayutthaya is the former capital of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province in Thailand. It is located in the valley of the Chao Phraya River. Ayutthaya was founded in 1351 by King U Thong, who went there to escape a smallpox outbreak in Lop Buri and proclaimed it the capital of his kingdom, often referred to as the Ayutthaya kingdom or Siam. It is named after the ancient Indian city of Ayodhya, synonymous with Rama, the 7th incarnation of the Hindu God Vishnu. Ayutthaya became the second Siamese capital after Sukhothai. In 1767, the city was destroyed by the Burmese army, resulting in the collapse of the kingdom. The ruins of the old city are preserved in the Ayutthaya historical park, which is recognised internationally as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ruins, characterised by the prang (reliquary towers) and gigantic monasteries, give an idea of the city's past splendour. Modern Ayutthaya was refounded a few kilometres to the east.

Bang Pa-In Royal Palace, also known as the Summer Palace, is a palace complex formerly used by the Thai kings. It lies beside the Chao Phraya River in Bang Pa-in District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province. King Prasat Thong constructed the original complex in 1632, but it fell into disuse and became overgrown in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, until King Mongkut began to restore the site in the mid-19th century. Most of the present buildings were constructed between 1872 and 1889 by King Chulalongkorn.

Pattaya is a city on Thailand’s eastern Gulf coast known for its beaches. A quiet fishing village as recently as the 1960s, it’s now lined with resort hotels, high-rise condos, shopping malls, cabaret bars and 24-hour clubs. Nearby, hillside Wat Phra Yai Temple features an 18m-tall golden Buddha. The area also features several designer golf courses, some with views of Pattaya Bay.

Wat Mahathat is a Buddhist temple in Ayutthaya, central Thailand. According to the official Thai history, referring to the investigations of the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya by Prince Damrong Rajanubhab, the history of Wat Mahathat starts in 1374 when King Borommaracha I erected a temple at this place, bearing another name.

Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon is a Buddhist temple in Ayutthaya, Thailand. The monastery was constructed by King U-Thong in 1357 A.D. to accommodate the monks that were ordained by Phra Wanratana Mahathera Burean. This monastery was named "Wat Pakaew". Afterward, Phra Wanratana of Wat Pa Kaew suggested to King Naresuan the Great to build a Chedi (pagoda). He decided to construct a large Chedi in this monastery in 1592 A.D. This monastery became known as Wat Yai Chaimongkhon.