What do you do when you only have a day or two to get out of Bangkok, too little time to reach the sublime beaches of Krabi, Phuket or Koh Samui? Some will say there's Pattaya, but sigh immediately after uttering the name... The most pleasant option, although without white sand, is 85 kilometres north of Bangkok, in the middle of greenery. This is Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of Siam, founded in the mid-14th century.
By Cécile Balavoine Photos Ludovic Maisant -
In the roots of a banyan tree, an enigmatic Buddha head. Is it an allegory of the divine present everywhere in nature, or of nature reclaiming its rights over human time?
Getting there is already an adventure. The best way is to take a train from Bangkok Central Station and spend an hour and a half contemplating an urban landscape that is gradually fading into the green. An hour and a half to cover 85 km on the "Special Express Train"... and for the equivalent of 50 cents! On arrival, the train drops passengers off right on the track, in front of a small station where there are no taxis, but where tuk-tuks are wisely waiting for customers. We settle in at the back, heading for the Sala Ayutthaya, the only design boutique hotel to open in 2014. The route is a pleasant one, skirting roadside eateries. We...
Getting there is already an adventure. The best way is to take a train from Bangkok Central Station and spend an hour and a half contemplating an urban landscape that is gradually fading into green. An hour and a half to cover 85 km on the "Special Express Train"... and for the equivalent of 50 cents! On arrival, the train drops passengers off right on the track, in front of a small station where there are no taxis, but where tuk-tuks are wisely waiting for customers. We settle in at the back, heading for the Sala Ayutthaya, the only design boutique hotel to open in 2014. The route is a pleasant one, skirting roadside eateries. The main attraction is the archaeological sites dotted around the new town.
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991, Ayutthaya was the second capital of Siam, after Sukhothai. Strategically placed on an island surrounded by three rivers, it prospered between the 14th and 18th centuries. Equidistant between India and China, its power and influence were consolidated by the vacuum left by Angkor after its fall in the 15th century. It is said that the royal court of Ayutthaya received ambassadors from all over the world, from as far away as Versailles! But the Burmese destroyed it in 1767, burning down the hundred or so temples and palaces. Ayutthaya died. And so Bangkok was born.
The reclining Buddha of Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon, still venerated today. Ludovic MaisantOn the banks of the Chao Praya, the Sala hotel offers a contemplative view of the former capital of Siam, built on an island. In the distance, the new town. Ludovic Maisant
Today, a trip to this capital of yesteryear is a plunge into ancient Thailand. Stroll among the stupas and prangs, the relic towers of Buddhist monasteries. In the late afternoon, once the sweltering heat has passed, you'll find the place very poetic indeed. And above all, they are rarely visited, with tourists no doubt preferring more distant destinations such as Sukhothai or Chiang Mai. So we wander between the ruins - many of which are being renovated - and watch the archaeologists painstakingly revive a meditating Buddha. You point out the number of the temple you want to see on the map to your tuk-tuk driver, the best way to avoid confusion if you don't speak Thai... These temples are all admirable, although more or less damaged. But if there is one not to be missed, it is Wat Mahathat. This is where a Buddha head with a large nose and half-closed eyes emerges from the roots of a sacred ficus tree. Legend has it that a looter hid it at the foot of the tree and then forgot about it. Buddha and the Bodhi Tree, whose colours are so astonishingly similar that you'd think they were made of each other, intertwined for eternity...
How to get there
From Bangkok Central Station, approximately one train every 30 minutes. www.railway.co.th
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