Ancient Thai city and UNESCO World Heritage Site joins other global sites that boast beautiful night views.

TAT Newsroom

 

Bangkok, 15 December, 2021 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to report that the historic ruins of Ayutthaya were bestowed with ‘World Night View Heritage’ certification at the World Night View Summit in Nagasaki, Japan.

 

Organised by the Yakei Convention and Visitors Bureau, the event on 19-20 November, 2021, was attended by 150 delegates from the tourism industries of several countries including Australia, Hungary, Japan, Monaco, Philippines, Spain, Taiwan, and Thailand, which was represented by Mrs. Roongtip Wongpatikarn Kimura, Director of the TAT Fukuoka Office.

 

Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor, said, “It is a delight to see Ayutthaya’s historic ruins presented with World Night View Heritage certification, further honouring this magnificent ancient city that was once a capital of Thailand or Siam as it was previously known and which is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site.”

 

Along with Ayutthaya’s world-famous ruins, the Taiwan Lantern Festival and Gellert Hill in Hungary were also awarded World Night View Heritage certification at the Summit.

 

The World Night View Heritage certification was created to recognise and honour places and events around the world that offer a beautiful night view and which are used to help promote tourism.

 

The archaeological and cultural treasure that are Ayutthaya’s historic ruins were certified by the World Night View Heritage Committee as a Natural Night View Heritage site.

 

Source: https://www.tatnews.org/2021/12/ayutthayas-historic-sites-receive-world-night-view-heritage-certification/

 

-- © Copyright TAT NEWS 2021-12-15

 

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My thoughts:

 

(1) The lights are only on for one hour.

 

(2) Only a few central temples are lit up, plus one off the island.

 

(3) If you don't have your own transport, you have to pay over the odds for a tuk-tuk, or take what I consider to be an exploitative ride on a samlor.  (I pity the poor cyclist who has to cart two grossly obese tourists around.)

(4) Apart from very occasionally (e.g. Loi Krathong at Wat Chai Watthanaram), the temples under the Fine Arts Department aren't open after sunset.

The powers-that-be could do much more to make Ayutthaya at night a more attractive tourist attraction.

Take your own torch?