Whilst Ancient Siam does contain some original artefacts, the appeal of this little known attraction lies not in its authenticity, but in its overview of Thai history and the attention to detail in recreating national treasures.

Again, Ancient Siam is not truly a historical site in the traditional sense, but it is a great way to discover Thailand’s history in a pleasant, tranquil setting.

Ancient Siam history

Lek Viriyaphant was an eccentric businessman and millionaire had a passion in art which inspired him to establish the Ancient city of Siam. Originally his plan was to create a Thailand-shaped golf course with miniatures of ancient sites for tourists.

However, once he started doing research, Lek found that many ancient sites had been left to decay and so altered his plan so the focus of Ancient Siam was education. The Ancient city of Siam therefore chronologically displays significant architectural styles from Thailand’s different eras, from the prehistoric through to the Ancient Khmer and Dvaravati.

The park was completed in 1963.

Ancient Siam today

Today, Ancient Siam is a time-machine back into Thailand’s ancient past, combining replicas of known significant sites with original structures moved there for preservation. Amongst its recreations, visitors can see the Tiger King’s Palace of Phetchaburi, Preah Vihear, the Ancient Theatrical Pavilion, The Royal Stand and many more.

The entire layout of the park creates the shape of Thailand, and sites are placed corresponding to their real geographical locations. Wander through beautiful landscape gardens full of native flowers and trees, streams and lakes, dotted with toilet facilities and shops.

Each site has a sign with a detailed English name, history and location. A particular highlight at Ancient Siam is definitely the Sumeru Mountain; a golden walkway leads across a lake to an island shaped like a giant serpent, its mouth gaped open.

Getting to Ancient Siam

On the outskirts of Bangkok, the faux ancient city is easily accessible from Thailand’s capital. Open between 9am and 6pm daily, you can get a taxi to Ancient Siam after getting the BTS to Kheha station (which takes 7 minutes).

Otherwise, the free shuttle part leaves BTS Bearing Station at 11am each day and stops at the museum, or take Orange bus number 511, getting off at Paknam and getting the 36 mini-van where you pass the Ancient Siam entrance.

Ayutthaya history

After the decline of the Khmer Empire in the late 14th century, Ayutthaya was established as the capital of Siam around 1350 by Ramadhipati, a Thai vassal who forced the original King to swear allegiance to him. It remained as such for approximately 400 years, passing under the reign of 33 kings, each of whom deified themselves as Buddhas.

However, a series of socio-economic and political fluctuations meant Ayutthaya was left vulnerable to attacks from the Burmese in the mid 18th century. In 1767, Ayutthaya was destroyed by Burmese attacks, stripping it of most of its stunning architecture and art.

Ayutthaya today

Nevertheless, Ayutthaya is still an incredible source of Thai history, its beautiful ruins marking the once thriving city and port. Visitors can still view Ayutthaya’s many Buddha statues, its giant complex of temples which once numbered an estimated four hundred and three palaces.

For those looking to discover more about the history of Ayutthaya and Thailand you can visit museums such as the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum, which contains many original artefacts, and the Ayutthaya Historical Study Centre includes models depicting what life in Ayutthaya might have been like.

Perhaps the best way to get around in Ayutthaya is by bicycle, with its many cycling routes providing a natural itinerary. Ayutthaya is usually an entire day’s trip, particularly for those coming from Bangkok and tours are available.

Getting to Ayutthaya

Getting to Ayutthaya from Bangkok can be done via train or minibus. Trains to Ayutthaya leave from Hua Lamphong station and take around 90 minutes (find ticket prices and timetables online). Minibuses leave from Mo Chit station or the Northern Bus Terminal and cost around 60 THB.

There lies close to 7,000 former prisoners of war (POWs), mostly British, Australian and Dutch but other Commonwealth servicemen as well, who sacrificed their lives building the Death Railway during World War Two. This was the notorious 258 mile long Burma-Siam railway, which the Japanese forced POWs to construct during the war.

It is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Kanchanaburi War Cemetery history

The Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, known locally as the Don-Rak War Cemetery, is the main prisoner of war cemetery for victims of Japanese imprisonment while building the Burma Railway.

The Burma-Siam railway was a Japanese project driven by the need for improved communications to support the large Japanese army in Burma and was built by Commonwealth, Dutch and American prisoners of war. During its construction, approximately 13,000 of these people were died and buried along the railway. Around 80,000 to 100,000 civilians also died during the course of the project, mostly forced labour from Malaya and the Dutch East Indies or conscripted in Siam and Burma.

The Japanese aimed at completing the railway in 14 months and work began in June 1942. Two labour forces, one based in Siam and the other in Burma worked from opposite ends of the line towards the centre.  The two sections of the line finally met near Konkoita towards the end of October 1943 and the completed line, 424 kilometres long, was operational by December 1943.

The graves of those who died during the construction and maintenance of the Burma-Siam railway (except for the Americans, whose remains were repatriated) were transferred from camp burial grounds and isolated sites along the railway into three cemeteries at Chungkai and Kanchanaburi in Thailand and Thanbyuzayat in Myanmar.

The Kanchanaburi War Cemetery was designed by Colin St Clair Oakes.

Kanchanaburi War Cemetery today

There are now 5,085 Commonwealth casualties of the Second World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. There are also 1,896 Dutch war graves and 1 non-war grave.

Within the entrance building to the cemetery will be found the Kanchanaburi memorial, recording the names of 11 men of the army of undivided India buried in Muslim cemeteries in Thailand, where their graves could not be maintained.

The Kanchanaburi War Cemetery is open at all times and visitors are asked to note that there may be snakes in the cemetery.

Getting to Kanchanaburi War Cemetery

The town of Kanchanaburi is 129 kilometres North-West of Bangkok and is best reached by road, along the National Highway which runs north from the capital. There are bus and train services from Bangkok. Kanchanaburi War Cemetery is situated adjacent to Saeng Chuto Road which is the main road through the town. When approaching from Bangkok, the cemetery is on the left side of the road, towards the far (northern) end of the town. A Commission signpost faces the cemetery on the opposite side of the road.

Kwai River Bridge history

The railway ran for 250 miles from Ban Pong, Thailand to Thanbyuzayat, Burma and is now known as the Death Railway. It was built using POWs and Asian slave laborers who were kept in awful conditions.
The work started in October 1942 and was completed in a year. It was meant to transport cargo daily close to India, to back up the planned Japanese attack on India. Bombed in 1944 by the Allies, sections of the bridge were destroyed and are now displayed in the War Museum.

The Death Railway earned its name from the sheer number of lives lost during its construction, including that of railway bridge number 277 in June 1943, allowing the track to cross what is today known as the Khwae Noi River, and which has become recognised worldwide as the Bridge on the River Kwai. Estimates vary but, of more than 60,000 prisoners of war enslaved on the Death Railway, almost 13,000 are believed to have died, in addition to as many as 90,000 southeast Asian civilian forced labourers.

Kwai River Bridge today

Nowadays, the bridge can be crossed on foot or with a small tourist train that runs back and forth. A light and sound show takes place each year on 28 November, to commemorate the bombing.

The Bridge on the River Kwai escaped planned bombing, and remains in place in Kanchanaburi as a tourist attraction and functioning railway bridge over which trains pass daily. The majority of its smaller components are originals, while a few are post-war replacements. Although the Death Railway has never again reached the Myanmar border, a shorter stretch was reopened by Thailand’s railway authorities between 1949 and 1958, and trains on this modern-day line cross the infamous Bridge on the River Kwai.

The remains of some 7,000 POW labourers who sacrificed their lives in the railway construction lie in the nearby Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. Another 2,000 are laid to rest at the Chungkai Cemetery.

Getting to Kwai River Bridge

The bridge is located near Kanchanaburi which is 129 kilometres North-West of Bangkok and is best reached by road, along the National Highway which runs north from the capital. There are bus and train services from Bangkok.

Constructed in the Khleang and Baphuon styles, the temple’s primary phases of construction to the late 10th and early 11th centuries. The primary deity was Shiva, and the building shape represents his heavenly residence, Mount Kailash.

Muang Tum history

Built in the Angkor style when large parts of Thailand were controlled by the Khmer empire, Phanom Rung is situated along an ancient road that connected Angkor Thom (present day Cambodia) to Phimai in the Nakhon Ratchasima province.

Phanom Rung was constructed over several phases which we can identify by the iconography of its art and architectural styles alongside inscriptions. These comprise two foundations of sacred brick buildings from 10th century AD, a small sanctuary from the 11th century, the central sanctuary built during the reign of King Suryavarman II in 12th century and a pair of libraries from the 13th century.

Muang Tum today

Today, you enter the site along a 160 metre-long processional walkway leading to the temple, with incredible views of the main tower. A pavilion on the right hand side of the walkway was built for the King to prepare himself for ceremonies in the temple. At the end of the walkway you reach the Naga Bridge, symbolising your passing from the earthly world into the world of the Gods…

The best time to visit is each year on 13 April, when the sun shines through all 15 portals of the temple. The park is open from dawn till dusk each day.

Getting to Muang Tum

Phanom Rung historical park is located in Buriram province in North East Thailand, about 50 kilometres south of Buriram town and best reached by car.

Phra Pathom Chedi history

The stupa is first mentioned in Buddhist texts dating to 675. However, archaeological remains date back to the 4th century and suggest the stupa was one of the principal stupas of ancient Nakhon Pathom – the largest settlement of Dvaravati culture during the 6th to the 8th century.

The Khmer Empire annexed Dvaravati settlements including ancient Nakhon Pathom in the 11th century. The stupa was then modified with a Khmer style prang on the top. After Anawrahta of the Pagan Kingdom invaded and plundered ancient Nakhon Pathom, the city and Phra Pathom Chedi had been abandoned and overgrown by the jungle.

The remains were uncovered in 1831 by King Rama III and his son, Mongkut, built a cover over the original stupa in the Sri Lankan style when he became king.

Phra Pathom Chedi today

Today you can visit the incredible complex which, when viewed from above, takes the form of a giant Buddhist mandala and represents the Buddhist cosmology with Phra Pathom Chedi in the middle. Inside Phra Pathom Chedi is a massive golden statue of Buddha.

Each year in November, according to the Thai lunar calendar, a festival is held at Phra Pathom Chedi to raise money for maintaining the immense site.

Getting to Phra Pathom Chedi

In the centre of the ancient city of Nakhon Pathom, Phra Pathom Chedi is only 13 minutes walk from the train station and just off the number 4 motorway through they city. There is plenty of parking on site.

History of Temple of the Emerald Buddha

Made up of a series of incredible gold buildings, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha contains a legendary two-foot statue of Buddha in its assembly hall or ‘Ubosoth’.

The Emerald Buddha, which is actually made of jade, is thought to date back as far the fourteenth century and was said to have been kept in plaster casing in a Chiang Rai monument until it was uncovered when the monument was struck by lightning. It was discovered in 1464 and has since been the subject of many disputes, and even wars.

King Rama I brought it to Bangkok in 1782, and it now resides on a throne in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Like other Buddha statues, the costume of the Emerald Buddha is altered according to the season in a tri-annual ritual under the auspices of the Thai king. The Temple of the Emerald Buddha also contains a series of murals depicting the Buddha’s life, painted in the Ayutthaya-style.

Temple of the Emerald Buddha Today

As with the Grand Palace generally, it can be beneficial to have a guide with you which you can book in advance. Note the strict dress code in the Grand Palace.

Getting to Temple of the Emerald Buddha

From the centre of Bangkok, the temple is a 2 minute drive or 17 minute from Ratchadamnoen Klang Road and Ratchadamnoen Nai Road. If you link up with a guide, it’s easy to get around.

Temple of the Reclining Buddha history

Located next to the Grand Palace, the current Temple of the Reclining Buddha was built in 1788 by King Rama I of the Chakri Dynasty, whose ashes are kept in the temple. This was actually a reconstruction project to rebuild an original temple on the same site, believed to date back to the Ayudhya kingdom.

Wat Pho was also occupied by a French Star Fort, demolished by King Phetracha after the Siege of Bangkok in 1688. After the fall of Ayutthaya to the Burmese in 1767, the capital was moved to Thomburi where King Taskin relocated his palace over the river from Wat Pho, elevating the status of the monastery.

Temple of the Reclining Buddha today

Today, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha as we see it has since undergone two further restorations: one during the reign of King Rama III and one in 1982. The temple is probably most famous for housing the Reclining Buddha which, with its gold-plated body measuring 46 metres long and 15 metres high, is the largest portrayal of Buddha in Thailand.

It is also the home of the Thai massage, an activity in which visitors can indulge at the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. Beyond the Reclining Buddha and the Thai massage, Wat Pho is made up of 20 acres where visitors can also view the existing monastery.

A great way to see Wat Pho can be by hiring a local guide.

Getting to the Temple of the Reclining Buddha

The easiest way of reaching Wat Pho is by boat: take the Chao Phraya River Express to the Tha Thien Pier before walking through the market and up the short street. You will see Wat Po directly across the intersection on your right, with the Grand Palace on your left.

The Grand Palace – Bangkok history

King Rama I ruled from 1782 to 1809 and moved the capital from Thonburi to its current location, building the Grand Palace as his home and offices. Construction began in 1782, although the palace was continuously added to through successive reigns – particularly under King Chilalongkorn.

By 1925 the royal family and government were no longer housed at the Grand Palace, especially after the monarchy was abolished in 1932.

The Grand Palace – Bangkok today

The Grand Palace is actually made up of a series of buildings, including government offices, monasteries and a museum and a visit can last several hours. Upon entering the palace complex, one is in the outer court, which once housed government departments and now contains the famous Chapel of the Emerald Buddha – a definite must-see attraction together with the Museum of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, which contains many artefacts relating to Wat Phra Keo.

The rest of the complex is divided into the inner and outer courts, some out of bounds to the public. However, the Dusit Maha Prasat throne is open on weekdays and, as one of the least altered buildings in the complex, contains an audience hall with a mother-of-pearl throne built by King Rama I.

Tourists can also enter the Amarin Winichai Mahaisun Audience hall on weekdays. Part of the Grand Palace’s Phra Maha Monthien complex of buildings is where all important state occasions take place. It can be worth hiring a guide beforehand if you want to learn about the Grand Palace history and make absolutely sure you abide by the strict modest dress code.

Getting to The Grand Palace – Bangkok

The cheapest way to reach the Grand Palace is taking the BTS Skytrain and getting off at Saphan Taksin Station (Exit 2). Take the Chao Phraya Express Boat to Sathorn Pier and walk 3 minutes to the palace, opposite the Temple of the Reclining Buddha.