November 17 Monday Bang pa-in Palace, Wat Niwet Thamprawat, Ayutthaya Historical Park

MISSED because these museums are closed on Mondays: Arts of the kingdom 45 min drive from Bangkok https://www.artsofthekingdom.com/; Museum at Church temple Wat Niwet Thamprawat

STAY: Suntomoon Residence By Sumo Ayutthaya

Bang Pa-In Royal Palace

Bang Pa-In Royal Palace , also known as the Summer Palace, is a palace complex dating back to Ayutthaya era. It lies beside the Chao Phraya River and is a common stop on the way to or from Ayutthaya, as they are in the same province 17 km apart and easily combined into one trip.

A large car park is situated near the palace entrance 20 Thai Baht (THB) per vehicle. We parked,got the stub and walked to the palace entrance.

they have very strict dress code even Capris below the knee are not allowed for men . Son had to go back to the car parking and wear his long trousers .

We hired a golf cart it was at a steep price of 250 Thai bahts for an hour, the subsequent hours are a little cheaper . The grounds are huge and have the typical European look with water bodies, bridges and lovely statues .

Museum

Had very beautiful exhibits in many many rooms, photos not allowed, cameras everywhere

We were through in an hour and then walked back to our car parking

To go to the Church temple, the pier to take the antique cable car pulled by pulley across the river was quite near . We got into it and reached the opposite side of the river to visit the royal temple shaped like a cathedral

Wat Niwet Thamprawat

Wat Niwet Thammaprawat was commissioned by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in 1876, to serve as the royal temple for the newly expanded Bang Pa-In Palace.

Its architecture mimics that of a European church, built in the Gothic Revival style.

The temple was designed by Joachim Grassi, Italian architect.

Many public buildings were built in the Western style during Chulalongkorn's reign, a trend reflecting the modernisation of Siam (as Thailand was then known) at the time. Wat Niwet Thammaprawat was built in Gothic Revival style, with stained glass windows and a Gothic altar. Its appearance resembles that of a Christian church, with the temple's main Buddha image in place of a Cross.

The temple can be reached by taking an antiquated cable car (operated by monks) across the Chao Phraya River.

The main Buddha image rests on a plaster base which is designed in the shape of a cross.

A separate shrine houses an ancient seated stone Buddha image dating back around a thousand years.

statues of the king...

It was unique but we were disappointed we could not visit the museum; it was closed because it was a Monday . We again got back onto the cable car and got back to our car park . They don't formally collect money for the cable car but we donated in their box . Now we had to drive on to ayutthaya historical park we didn't want to take the windy small road beside the river bank. We retracked a little bit and got onto the highway, Reached ayutthaya a little before 1:00 in the afternoon we thought we will find out if our apartment is ready. We drove to the complex but the manager said our apartment will be ready only by two. We decided to keep our bags in the car itself and we had our food in the car and then drove on to the historical park. We had already selected which of the ruins we would visit and went as per our map

Ayutthaya Historical Park

Ayutthaya served as the capital of the Ayutthaya Kingdom from 1350 to 1767.

The city of Ayutthaya was founded by King Ramathibodi I in 1351, the area was already populated during the Mon Dvaravati period. around 850 AD, the Khmers occupied the area,naming it Ayodhya, after one of the holiest Hindu cities in India of the same name.

The city was a major center of trade and diplomacy, attracting merchants from Asia, Europe, Middle East.

It was the capital of the country until its destruction by the Burmese army in 1767.

It is renowned for its impressive ruins, ancient temples, and Buddhist monasteries, many of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

There are more than 360 temples (including ruins). Parking was not a problem. Most tourist attractions and temples have a parking areas.

There were several elephants giving tourists a joyride; a round about on the road was like a ruin .

Wat Mahathat:

Famous for the iconic Buddha head entwined in tree roots. One of the oldest temples (built in the 13th century). Wat Mahathat was the most important temple in the kingdom and Royal ceremonies were held there. Today there are lots of ruins and Buddhas with their heads chopped off by the Burmese when they sacked the city in 1767

Wat Ratchaburana

This temple has the most incredible Khmer-style prang (tower-like spire) in Ayutthaya, can climb inside the prang for views. When King Intharacharthirat died in 1424, two of his sons killed each other fighting for the throne. A 3rd brother took power and had this temple built in their remembrance.

Wat Thammikarat

Lion figures around a chedi. Huge amount of roosters (based on a legend of a wager over a cock fight )

Roosters are revered in Thailand due to their symbolism of courage, diligence, and good fortune, deeply tied to the legendary warrior King Naresuan the Great, who used a rooster in a famous cockfight to win Ayutthaya's freedom from Burma. They are seen as protectors, heralds of dawn, and symbols of strength, leading many Thais to offer rooster statues at temples for blessings, prosperity, and to honor the king's legacy.

Wat Lokayasutharam:

Home to a massive reclining Buddha image,

100s of stray dogs in Ayutthaya. Mostly fairly friendly/indifferent

After seeing all our targets we bought some grocery from Makro food services and reached our apartment complex around 6:30PM.

Suntomoon Residence By Sumo Ayutthaya

There was no one at the reception . There was a key with our name unattended on the table .

A maid who was in the hall mumbled something, pointed where we should go . Thankfully a fellow resident at the swimming pool told us where our G block 404 room was and we took the lift .

The apartment has induction stove, microwave etc but absolutely no vessels for cooking, no bowls, just two small plates . We sent a message by Whatsapp at 6:30 PM asking for some cooking vessels The manager replied at 9:30 PM saying their maid has left And they're sorry for the inconvenience. I prepare food for the night, morning and the next afternoon when I reach an accommodation and my plans totally ruined because of this negligence Every other accommodation in Thailand had all the things listed as mentioned in booking com, If something was missing they supplied on request This was the only place with so much lack of effort and politeness