The palace was revived by King Rama IV of the Chakri Dynasty, better known in the West as King Mongkut (1851-1868), who had a temporary residence constructed on the outer island that became the site of the Neo-Gothic style monastery, Wat Niwet Thamprawat, which was built by his son and heir, King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). The present-day royal palace dates from the reign of King Chulalongkorn (1868-1910), when most of the buildings standing today were constructed between 1872-1889. Today the palace is used occasionally by Their Majesties King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) and Queen Sirikit as a residence and for holding receptions and banquets.
After the visit of the Bang Pa Inn palace we will continue to the Unesco World Hertiage site of Ayuthaya. Once the powerfull capital of the Siamese Kingdom which reigned over present Thailand, parts of Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia from 1200 to 1700.
The Historic City of Ayutthaya, founded in 1350, was the second capital of the Siamese Kingdom. It flourished from the 14th to the 18th centuries, during which time it grew to be one of the world’s largest and most cosmopolitan urban areas and a center of global diplomacy and commerce. Ayutthaya was strategically located on an island surrounded by three rivers connecting the city to the sea. This site was chosen because it was located above the tidal bore of the Gulf of Siam as it existed at that time, thus preventing attack of the city by the sea-going warships of other nations. The location also helped to protect the city from seasonal flooding.
The city was attacked and razed by the Burmese army in 1767 who burned the city to the ground and forced the inhabitants to abandon the city. The city was never rebuilt in the same location and remains known today as an extensive archaeological site.
At present, it is located in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province. The total area of the World Heritage property is 289 ha.
Once an important center of global diplomacy and commerce, Ayutthaya is now an archaeological ruin, characterized by the remains of tall prang (reliquary towers) and Buddhist monasteries of monumental proportions, which give an idea of the city’s past size and the splendor of its architecture.
Well-known from contemporary sources and maps, Ayutthaya was laid out according to a systematic and rigid city planning grid, consisting of roads, canals, and moats around all the principal structures. The scheme took maximum advantage of the city’s position in the midst of three rivers and had a hydraulic system for water management which was technologically extremely advanced and unique in the world.
We will vist the Wat Yai Chai Mongkol. In the year 1357 two princes of Ayutthaya, Chao Kaeo and Chao Thai, died of cholera.
King Ramathibodhi I (r. 1350 - 1369) ordered the bodies of both princes to be exhumed and at the cremation site, a monastery with a holy monument (stupa) and a preaching hall (viharn), be established. He gave the monastery the name "Wat Pa Kaeo"
or the Monastery of the Crystal Forest. The temple became the home of Buddhist monks ordained and trained at the Monastery of Phra Wanaratanathen in Ceylon (present Sri Lanka). The Sangha group was mainly engaged in meditation.
After we will visit the Wat Phra Sri Sanphet is situated on the city island in Ayutthaya’s World Heritage park in Pratu Chai Sub-district. It has been registered as a national historic site by the Fine Arts Department since 5 March 1935. This monastery was the most important temple of
Ayutthaya and situated within the Grand Palace grounds. It served as a model for the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok.
In 1350 Prince U-Thong ordered a palace built in an area called Nong Sano, actual the area in the vicinity of Bueng Phra Ram. The palace contained three wooden buildings named "Phaithun Maha Prasat", "Phaichayon Maha Prasat", and "Aisawan Maha
Prasat". Upon finalization of the palace in 1351, he established Ayutthaya as his capital and was bestowed the title of King Ramathibodi I. The original size of the old palace compound is believed to be the same as the area of Wat Phra Sri Sanphet today.
We continue and will visit the Wat Mahathat The exact date of the establishment of Wat Maha That is difficult to assess. The Luang Prasoet version of the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya put its construction in 736 Chula Sakarat (CS) or 1374 of the Christian Era, during the reign of King
Borommaracha I (r. 1370-1388), somehow 23 years after the establishment of Ayutthaya. The chronicles mention that the central prang had a height of 46 meter.
Later versions of the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya state that Wat Maha That was established by King Ramesuan (r. 1388-1395) after his attack of Chiang Mai in 1384 (746 CS). But this date is not corroborating with his period of reign. The chronicles mention that King Borommaracha II (r. 1424-1448) attacked Angkor in 1431 and had a large number of sacred images of oxen, lions and other creatures removed from the temples there. These images were brought to Ayutthaya and installed as offerings at Wat Maha That.
Wat Maha That was one of the most important monasteries of the Ayutthaya kingdom, not only because it was the religious centre and enshrined relics of the Buddha, but also because of its proximity to the Grand Palace. It was a royal monastery and the seat of the Supreme Patriarch of the City Dwelling sect till the end of the Ayutthaya period - at par with the Supreme Patriarch of the Forest Dwelling sect, which had its seat at Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon (called Wat Pa Kaeo in earlier times).
A local lunch will be served along the river and we have time to relax and rent some bicycles if you like or visit the elephant kraal. We return to your hotel in the afternoon. Most important of all is that this is your private tour so you decide with your guide the pace, the time and the contents of the program.