discovering Thailand.... part 9 Ayutthaya, Thailand- Wat Mahathat Temple

Today our  next destination is Ayutthaya Historical Park...

Ayutthaya is undoubtedly one of the most culturally and historically interesting towns within easy reach of  Bangkok. It is accessible by rail, river or road. This was Thailand's former capital and is a must on any travel itinerary. It is 86 kms. from Bangkok. We hired a private car and got a driver/tour guide once more... He charged us 2500 baht for the day.

Wat Mahathat was built around the 1300's and is one of Ayutthaya's oldest shrines, it was also the home of the Supreme Patriach. In 1767 the Burmese attacked, looted and burnt down and smashed all the heads off the Buddha statues.

Today the central prang of the temple is pretty much a pile of bricks. It first collapsed during the reign of King Song Tham in 1610. It was rebuilt and they raised the prang to 51 meters which made it the tallest prang in Ayutthaya.

The  famous Buddha in a tree near the entrance of the park... This stone head of Buddha has become entrapped in the roots of a banyan tree. Do not miss this Buddha head when you are visiting the park.

They started excavating the grounds in 1956 and found a buried treasure chest containing gold Buddha images and precious stones.

Wat Mahathat is opened from 8:30am to 4:30pm daily.
Admission is 30 Baht.