Steam train trip following the history of Ayutthaya

I took a sightseeing train on the steam locomotive to Ayutthaya alone.

📍 We chose the first class OTOP carriage. The ticket included breakfast, drinks, and snacks for both the outbound and return trips.

📍 The train was a blue-only carriage. The design was beautiful, with a classic wooden interior.

📍 8:10 a.m. Shortly after the train departed from Hua Lamphong, the flight attendant began serving breakfast. It was a boxed lunch of roasted chicken with seafood sauce. It was delicious, and I also had a boiled duck egg.

Following this were sweet drinks: chrysanthemum tea and roselle juice (I chose roselle juice). The sweet and refreshing dessert was excellent.

📍 Around 10 a.m., the train arrived in Ayutthaya. This time, I registered to receive a special price for a tuk-tuk charter. This activity was organized by the TAT Ayutthaya Office in collaboration with the Ayutthaya Tricycle Club.

(The normal price for chartering a frog-headed tuk-tuk is 900 baht per day/per vehicle. You can take it to various places in Ayutthaya from morning until evening. If you're in a group of 4-6 people (some vehicles can seat 8 people), and split the cost, it's just over 100 baht per person. It's a great value. It's not as expensive as you might think.)

This time, however, because we were on a guided tour, we were able to get a special price of 450 baht, offered by the Ayutthaya Tuk-Tuk Association. This special price is only available to those traveling on this guided tour train.

📍 This time, we were traveling alone, and we didn't have anyone we knew, so we chartered the vehicle alone and paid for it ourselves.

The advantage of traveling alone is that it's very flexible, allowing you to stop at many places. Each place takes a short time to take photos and videos, and then move on to the next.

📍 If you're traveling alone, there's another cost-effective way to explore multiple locations: rent a bicycle and ride around the city. Bicycle rental is 60 baht per day per bike.

📍Admission to all historical sites is 10 baht for Thais (except for the Chao Sam Phraya Museum, which has a 30 baht maintenance fee because it's an air-conditioned museum).

📍First stop: Wat Suwannaram. This temple is steeped in history, dating back to the late Ayutthaya period. The highlight is the ordination hall. From the outside, you'll see seven windows, but inside, you'll see only three.

The murals here depict the history of the Ayutthaya period, unlike those at other temples.

To reach this temple, if you're coming from the train station, take the road that passes Pom Phet, pass under the King Ekathotsarot Bridge, and continue along the riverside road around the city island. Before reaching Ayutthaya Hospital, where there are many roti sai mai shops, there's an alleyway on the right. That's Wat Suwannaram.

📍 Point 2: Wat Mahathat. The highlight is the ancient Buddha head covered with tree roots.

📍 Point 3: Wat Ratchaburana. The highlight is the main prang, which is a treasure trove. A golden sword and a golden crown were also discovered here.

📍 Point 4: Wihan Mongkhon Bophit. Pay respects to Luang Pho Mongkhon Bophit.

📍 Point 5: Chedi Si Sanphet. Everyone knows this place. But if you walk further back, you'll find the ancient Ayutthaya Palace, home to various royal residences. The Ayutthaya period was the capital of the kingdom.

📍 Point 6: Chao Sam Phraya Museum. The highlight is the golden sword of the Ayutthaya kings and the golden crowns and royal gold items discovered during the Ayutthaya period.

📍 Point 7: Wat Lokayasutha. There's a large reclining Buddha.

📍 Point 8: Wat Chaiwatthanaram. Fans of the drama Prom Likit will know this place well. The prang here has a unique identity, different from other ancient temples in Ayutthaya. There's also a shop that rents traditional Thai clothing for photoshoots.

📍 Point 9: Time Gate, Wat Phra Ngam

📍 Point 10: Wat Mahaying. Besides being an ancient site, this place also welcomes the public for overnight meditation retreats. If you're coming from the train station, it's a bit past the Ayothaya Floating Market. A motorbike ride from the train station should be cheaper than going to Wat Chai.

📍 Point 11: Wat Yai Chai Mongkol. The main chedi here is very tall and you can walk up to see the top.

📍 We finished at Wat Yai Chai Mongkol around 4 PM.

On the way back to the train station, we asked the tuk-tuk driver to stop at a roti sai mai shop. 3 sets for 100 baht.

📍 We arrived back at Ayutthaya Train Station around 3:50 PM. Before 4 PM, we paid the tuk-tuk driver 450 baht. The steam train back to Bangkok hadn't even stopped yet.

📍 Snacks were available on the train back. It's mango sticky rice with coconut milk. The packaging is incredibly thoughtful and looks very appetizing. It comes with a drink: freshly squeezed orange juice that tastes like real orange juice, not artificially flavored orange juice.

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Steam locomotive trips are held six times a year on important dates:

March 26
June 3
July 28
August 12
October 23
December 5
Tickets are usually available for booking one month in advance of travel.