Ayutthaya

Currency

A working Thai town rather than a resort, so rates are ordinary and banks keep bank hours. Bangkok is an hour away and better for changing money.

ATMs & cards

Plenty of machines around the town centre. The 220 THB foreign card fee applies; temple entrance fees are cash only.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Very safe. The hazard is the heat: the ruins are open, unshaded and brutal from March to May, and people misjudge it every year. Start at dawn, carry more water than you think, and stop by noon. Dress covered at the temples, which are active religious sites rather than only ruins.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.

Worth having

• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid
• Tetanus up to date
• Rabies if you will be near animals or staying a while
• Japanese encephalitis for long rural stays

Getting treated

One of the best places in the world to have an accident. Private hospitals in Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai are excellent, fast, English-speaking and cheap by Western standards — a consultation runs a few tens of euros. They expect payment or an insurance guarantee up front.

Dengue is present year-round and worse in the rainy season; there is no prophylaxis, so repellent is the defence. Rabies is present in street dogs and monkeys — any bite or scratch means a clinic the same day.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Boat noodles at the Chao Phrom market, and river prawns — the town is known for them and they are a fraction of Bangkok prices.

Getting around

• Bicycle — the flat historical park is made for it, 50 THB a day
• Tuk-tuk — agree a half-day rate, around 200-300 THB an hour
• Train — Bangkok to Ayutthaya from 15 THB in third class, 1.5 hours
• Minivan — from Bangkok’s Victory Monument, about an hour
• Ferry — a small crossing to the eastern temples, 5 THB

Must-see

Things to do

• Cycle the historical park at dawn
• Find the Buddha head in the banyan roots at Wat Mahathat
• Watch sunset over Wat Chaiwatthanaram
• Take the river boat between the outer temples
• Eat boat noodles at Chao Phrom market
• Visit the Chao Sam Phraya museum

Nearby day trips

Religion

Theravada Buddhist

About 93% Buddhist, and it governs a lot of daily etiquette. Monks may not be touched by women. Never point your feet at a Buddha image or climb on one — people have been prosecuted for it.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Return the wai greeting — palms together, a slight bow — when someone offers it first
• Remove shoes before entering temples and homes
• Cover shoulders and knees at temples, including for men
• Keep your cool; visible anger loses you the argument and the respect

Don't

• Do not touch anyone’s head, including children — it is the most sacred part of the body
• Do not point your feet at people or at Buddha images, and never step over someone
• Do not say anything critical of the royal family; lèse-majesté carries prison sentences and is enforced
• Do not climb on Buddha statues for photographs