Ayutthaya and Sukhothai

Photo: Buddha statue in Ayutthaya

I just arrived in Chiang Mai after a couple of days in Central Thailand. I stayed in the cities of Ayutthaya and Sukhothai for one full day each, with some travel days in between.

These couple days were a much-needed improvement on Bangkok! Both cities were old capitals of the Kingdom of Siam, and are filled with beautiful ruins from that time. Ayutthaya was just an hour’s train ride North of Bangkok. It was an unpleasant trip, as the train car had no AC, but at least it was short. After checking into my hotel, I snuck out to the nearby night market for dinner before calling it a night. The next day, it was time to take a big walking tour of all the temples—six or so major ones in total. Most of them were in ruins, with most of the Buddha statues decapitated after the Kingdom of Burma invaded the Kingdom of Siam and decided to show dominance. Nevertheless, the rich history of the old temples, combined with their size and beauty, made for an inspiring day. For sunset, I took a quick 15-minute motorbike ride over to “Wat Chaiwatthanaram” at the town’s edge for a great view.

The next day, I took the bus 6 hours North to Sukhothai, the capital preceding Ayutthaya. The night I arrived, there was a big thunderstorm. It really poured; I enjoyed sitting under the awning of the hotel listening to the rain hitting the roof and pavement. The hotel itself was really nice; it was in a perfect location just next to all the temples, and the manager of the hotel was the nicest lady I’ve met on this trip so far! She really raised my mood.

Sukhothai was more of the same: ancient, ruined Buddhist temples. However, the town was smaller, and the temples were more spread apart. To tour the temples, the hotel provided me with a bicycle, and I spent the day riding between the sights. Because of the rain the night before, the weather was much cooler and more pleasant. That evening, I dined on some more good street food and chatted with another American I found on the way.

The following morning, before I left for Chiang Mai, I attended a daily almsgiving ritual at the local Buddhist temple. A group of monks walks past a row of kneeling givers (myself included) who hand them food to eat that day. The claim is that feeding the monks is a way to practice giving up mortal possessions, and is viewed as a form of charity done to the giver. I thought that was interesting, and I enjoyed the sanctitude of the early-morning event.

Both Ayutthaya and Sukhothai were massive improvements on Bangkok, in my opinion. There was less pollution, it was quieter, the food was just as good, and the sights were aplenty! Now, after a long bus ride (our bus broke down for an hour!), I am in Chiang Mai. I learned that it is burning season, and Chiang Mai is a smoky place. I arrived after a brief rainstorm, so it’s not too bad right now, but it might pick up soon. Look out for my next post on Chiang Mai!