Ayuthaya - How to get There

Hi there,

My travel agent is trying to book an organized tour to Ayuthaya, but they are quiet expensive.

Do you know if its easy to get there by bus or train and make my own tour ?

Some tips please

Ayuthaya - How to get There

Train from Hualumpong station, very cheap and very slow. Van from Chatuchak Park, or bus from Morchit Mai bus station in Kamphenphet 2 Road.

One problem of DIY is that the sites are scattered over a big area, but you could see those sights close to the city center.

Ayuthaya - How to get There

I took the bus from Mo Chit bus station. Piece o%26#39; cake, very cheap, and took about 90 minutes. When you arrive hook up with a tuk-tuk guy and he will take you around to the sites (you might have to bargain a bit for this).

Took the tran from Bangkok to Ayutthaya and it was a really good experience. Very civilised and having travelled on Thailands trains before they are pretty reliable.

We got the 8:30 (left a bit late) from Hua Lamphong and were in Ayutthaya for just before 10:00.

The guards on the train were really pleasant and kept an eye out for us and told us when our stop was. All seats are numbered and I think we paid something like 50 baht each.

We walked from the station to the ferry mentioned above, but once across we sort of got lost. So we flagged down a tu tuk who chared us 500 baht per hour to ferry us around verious places (we chose which ones by pointing at the map in the Lonely Planet and looking at the ones he had in a fold out postcard pack!!!!!!).

Ended up seeing about five temples (all fantastic and varied) and had a leisurely walk around them. At a couple there were no more than a handful of people so was a really pleasant experience. Picked up a guide book at a stall outside the first one for about 100 baht which helped.

Think we got the 4:00 train back which was abit slower (about 1hr 45mins). I%26#39;m sure we paid something like 50baht and got a seat in 2nd class with air con.

A great day out and really easy to sort out.

The train takes too long. Get a public van from Victory Monument (right on the Skytrain line) which takes under one hour and costs 70 baht. In Ayutthaya, go to the nearby train station and engage a licensed guide with a tuktuk for about 1000 baht for the whole day. He drives you from site to site, describes what you%26#39;re about to see, and waits while you look around at your own pace. Start very early because Ayutthaya gets ferociously hot in the afternoon. Wear a hat and bring a water bottle.

Alternatively, you could hire a personal taxi driver for the day. The concierge at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit I stayed at last year offered this and the driver charged 3000 baht, which my brother took him up on the offer.

Bangkok to Sukhumvit was about 50 minutes and the taxi driver not only drove my brother to whichever temple he wanted, but he also acted as a personal guide and translator (to the best of his ability) for the entire day. Depending on the number of people in your party, this might be worth considering.

The concierge at our hotel also recommended not taking the train. He said that even though he%26#39;s a local, he wouldn%26#39;t even take it. Also, the travel guidebooks all say to rent/hire a bicycle in Ayutthaya, but my brother only saw once place with rentals and it wasn%26#39;t anywhere near the train station. Don%26#39;t believe everything that Lonely Planet says.

Sorry, I meant, ';Bangkok to Ayutthaya was about 50 minutes...';

You must%26#39;ve gone REALLY fast! 50 minutes?

Hi bill2p,

What%26#39;s the frequency of the van at victoria monument? Is there any time schedule available?

Thanks

im pretty sure the van from victory monument will only go once the seats are filled-up.

but what im not sure about is, what time do these vans start to operate, as in start waiting for people.

I plan to start early

The vans from Victory Monument are pretty frequent, about every 20 minutes. Yes, they go when they fill up, but they fill up fast. No need for a schedule. They start early in the morning. The longest you may have to wait is, say, 30 minutes. Usually much faster.

From Victory Monument, they head right out on the Expressway. As I said, under one hour is the usual time.

By the way, Victory Monument has vans going to the airport too. My friend who works at the airport uses them every day. I believe they also cost 70 baht.