Lowdown On Ayutthaya

[samsara]

My gf (a farang) and I are planning on heading to Ayutthaya for awhile come April. I've lived in Thailand for over 20 months but have scant experience with Ayutthaya and the surrounding area. Could anyone give me a little synopsis, as in costs, housing rental market, farang amenities (restaurants, cinema, supermarkets, etc), and # of farangs in residence.

Thanks in advance.

[ProfessorFart]

I'll give you my thoughts on Ayutthya which is a place I like a lot and have spent a lot of time both as a tourist and in a research student capacity.

There aren't too many expats or expat amenities mainly because of the proximity to BKK. When you bear in mind that with a good run outside of rush hour and busy college hours you can be in Moh Chit in 50 mins, and in Sukhumwit some 30 odd mins later, the need for Western amenities in Ayutthya (which is, lets face it, virtually a sattelite of BKK these days) is somewhat diminished.

You don't seem to get that many people staying overnight these days either for some reason. Even when they do it tends to be for one night only and then they're off. The trouble is that after the ruins theres not too much to keep anyone there.

If you are a Thai history buff however, the town is a treasure trove of interest and you will always have places and people of interest near by but if you also like to let your hair down at nights I think you'll find yourself heading to BKK at weekends.

Personally on a basic level, I find it a nice place to get away from the bustle of BKK for a few days and enjoy the green open spaces but thats about it.

As a history buff I've put in a few longish research trips there yet always found myself slipping off to BKK at weekends for the bright lights. Don't expect too many wild nights in Ayutthya during the week although there are some nice little spots where one can chew the fat with some of the locals.

One or two Westerners have opened GHs there in the past but have soon realised that its a bit of a dead loss and headed for more profitable pastures.

There are a few long termers around but they always strike me as the 'been there too long' kind and a tad feral.

The new town is a fairly typical Thai town with one or two very decent Thai nightspots.

The Night Market Thanon Rochana is pretty good and very varied for basic food.

The few restaurants on the strip opposite Wat Ratburana and Wat Mahathat have plenty of ambience and passable food. A nice place for drinks as the sun sets over the ruins.

Theres TESCO/LOTUS with Pizza Hut etc on the outskirts of town.

I'm sure that your employers will assist you with accommodation when you get there but as a ball park figure Ayuuthya tends to be a little (5-10%) more expensive than other provicial Thai towns due to its proximity to BKK.

I guess its all a question of what floats your boat.

All in all its an extremely nice place to be but if you, like me, like all the comforts of home I think you'll find your feet straying to the bus or train station come 5PM each Friday!

Edited January 30, 2005 by ProfessorFart

[Spee]

Theres TESCO/LOTUS with Pizza Hut etc on the outskirts of town.

I'm sure that your employers will assist you with accommodation when you get there but as a ball park figure Ayuuthya tends to be a little (5-10%) more expensive than other provicial Thai towns due to its proximity to BKK.

All in all its an extremely nice place to be but if you, like me, like all the comforts of home I think you'll find your feet straying to the bus or train station come 5PM each Friday!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't have a lot of experience at Ayutthaya but have been there a few times on my travels.

As the Prof said, the Tesco/Lotus is on the outskirts right by the intersection of the main drag for Ayutthaya and the highway to Bkk. It is a nice indoor mall and many basic shopping needs for food, clothes, electronics, etc., can be taken care of there.

Until you get settled in an apartment, the Ayutthaya Guest House hotel is nice, quaint and quiet, with aircon for only about $10USD per night. That may be quite a bit higher, if available at all, during the peak tourist seasons like Song Khran. If you are going to relocate in a quiet tourist season, then you might be able to negotiate a decent rate for a longer stay of 2 to 4 weeks.

There are regular trains and buses to everywhere, running very often. I think the bus (minivan actually) from Ayutthaya to Victory Monument in Bkk is about 150 ThB, not bad for point to point delivery. The rapid runs many times each way per day, but personally I think it takes too long because of all the stops in between.

HTH

[samsara]

Thanks so much for the details.

First off, does Ayutthaya feel like it's close to Bkk -- in the same way that say Chonburi city or Sriracha does? If so, then we won't be going there. We're not looking for the nightlife of Bkk, just a nice, quiet place with some history that's in close proximity to the sea and an airport, but which isn't real touristy. Do the tours get on your nerves? I've lived in Bang Saen for awhile and I used to hate weekends when all the tourists came to the beach.

[bkkbound04]

we did the tour of the ruins during our 2 night stay

we stayed at the u thong inn-i didn't rate the hotel

there is a small thai nightlife area in ayutthaya, there's a couple of big clubs with huge sound sytems and there's some smaller pubs/clubs and restaurants all on the same street/soi there's also a 5 aside football pitch opposite the nightclubs

this area is nothing like the clubs of bangkok/pattaya that are packed with ferang, we were the only ferang in the area and were made to feel very welcome

[ProfessorFart]

Ayutthya doen't feel like a suburb of Bangkok...........yet.........

Its nowhere near the sea though!?

The tours don't annoy you too much. They tend to get whizzed around the main 2 temples (Wat Mahathat and Wat Pra Si Sanphet) spending maybe 20 minutes in each and then get whizzed off again.

[Kan Win]

I'll give you my thoughts on Ayutthya which is a place I like a lot and have spent a lot of time both as a tourist and in a research student capacity.

The trouble is that after the ruins theres not too much to keep anyone there.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

ProfessorFart and samsara to the Ruins and a bit more - Ayutthya -

and then you have these as well. I am sure they would take you for a ride (so to speak)

Yours as always

Kan Win

P.S. All images Copyright © by win13. Please do not copy or reuse any image without the photographer's permission.

[tuky]

great photies kanwin, you have inspired me to come visit. It will be a first not only for myself but my wife and her family.

The hardest part will be leaving home in Sriracha and going through BKK as luckily Sriracha feels nothing like BKK.

[Kan Win]

Thank you tukyleith.

That is what I try to do, let people around Thailand, plus our World, see and visit these places in this beautiful country, like I do and have done and will keep on doing “Through the Eyes of (win13)”

BTW, Kan is not too far from there , but then again it is not the time of the year to see this place . Better after the rains come (April/May).

Welcome.

If you take the Outer Ring Road off the Motorway hang a right, you Kan miss Bangers completely to Ayutthya. Just me thinking.

Happy Days

Yours, as always

Kan Win

[Khutan]

we stayed at the u thong inn-i didn't rate the hotel

Suphan-Buri City (Ampour Muang) has some good hotels.

I havn't rated the night-life

[BISCUIT]

great photies kanwin, you have inspired me to come visit. It will be a first not only for myself but my wife and her family.

The hardest part will be leaving home in Sriracha and going through BKK as luckily Sriracha feels nothing like BKK. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

really nice, its where you can get away from the hustle and bustle.

[frenchfarangjomtien]

Hi,

Do you know if it is possible ot find cheap guesthouses or bungalows on the riverside at Ayuthaya ?

Thanks.

[AyG]

To respond to a few of the points above in no particular order:

* As well as Tesco-Lotus, there's also a Big C just a few hundred metres further out of town

* I'm not into the night life at all, but understand that the AY disco is popular and busy, as is the German-style bar with a nightly show

* 6,000 Baht/month should get you a simple, 2 bedroom bungalow. 20,000 Baht, a large, modern 4 bedroom house

* No English language cinema - not even English subtitles. The closest is at Future Park, Rangsit

* Personally, I think the restaurants opposite Wat Mahathat are pretty dire and overpriced - aimed at tourists who will eat there once and never go back. There are much better places such as Sai Thong, Baan Mai Rim Naam, etc.

* Not sure about the total number of farangs in town. To be honest, I tend to avoid them. However, there's quite a few bars and restaurants where they tend to congregate on "Soi Farang" (Soi Naresuan 1). Tony's Place, also known as MM Guesthouse or Sherwood house is another popular place for older farangs to hang out.

* I don't think there's a night market on Rojana Rd. I think the poster may be thinking of the one on Bang Ain Rd.. Personally, I wouldn't eat there - the hygiene is pretty atrocious and all the food is crawling with flies. There's a smaller night market near the bottom of Chikhun Rd. which is better in my opinion.

* In front of Amporn department store there are Western-style fast food places, including The Pizza Company, KFC, a Swensons and a burger place (not sure if McDonalds or something else)

* I haven't used the minivan to Victory Monument for a few months. Last time it was 60 Baht for the trip.

* One poster wrote "There are regular trains" - uh, no. The trains are nowhere near regular, often running hours late. Also, there's a big gap in the timetable during the day where no trains are scheduled at all.

* The tours don't get on my nerves. Tourists rarely venture beyond half a dozen or so sites. The rest of the town is free from them.

* I don't consider myself to be "feral"

[jumbo]

Soi Grand, from the Grand Hotel, Rojana Soi 5, is a place with some, mostly Japanese, Restaurants

and the odd 'tec' (disco)

Soi Tony has been mentioned already... few bars

Here and there throughout all Ayutthaya you find small Thai run bars where it is nice sit and

watch the traffic pass by from the terrace

Overall limited nightlife and no taxi's available in the night...

01.00 the place is virtually dead apart from the tec's

Good hotels, one or two excellent, on the river also a few guesthouses.

U-thong Inn is the place to stay clear from

There are some very good restaurants serving mainly Thai food..

Good and some great Thai restaurants on the river

River tours from every good hotel and most of the restaurants

We enjoyed a private small boat tour last month for 800 thb per hour,

dinner and drinks while you cruise the river....until dark, beautiful it was

Big-C and Tesco are good supermarkets but the real western stuff you have to buy in Bangkok,

but they sell the latest movies on DVD for 100 thb, 3 for 250 thb...

3 nice small water-markets where the food is excellent, I just go there for lunch...

Way too many temples...

good deals on anything. In the moo baan where I live you can rent a townhouse for

5.000 - 6.000 thb per month, 2 bedrooms..

Virtually no traffic jams, no tailors groping your arms, no barladies screaming for your attention

very nice people,

enjoy the silence........

[phutoie2]

Most of those points were made in 2005!!, thanks for bringing us all up to date.

I go to Ayutts from Phetchabun about 3 times a year, there is a number of English teacher types there, plus western foreigners who work in the large factory areas off the island I have gotten to know.

On my last trip I was surprised at the number of tourists, I think someone is making a mint hiring out bicycles too!. That farang soi is worth a look I suppose, mainly for an afternoon drink in my opinion. There is a place near the railway station, 'Seven Seas', nice food and draught beer.

Later on had another look at the big market area off the island, not too hard to spot, just look for the Japanese VIP Karaoke signs. A lot of folk in the Cowboy bar (I think thats its name!). Very popular with the farangs & Japanese workers. They had 3 bands on that night and all sang 'Hotel California' & 'Country Roads, take me home', which was nice of them!

One thing that I do not see a lot of now in Thailand, the big boss waitress in the CB bar said we could take our own whisky in as long as we paid for the soft drinks and ice etc. There is a big 7/11 nearby so went and purchased some JW.

Been eating the big boy breakfast in the Sherwood House on my visits, still the best in town, though the Brit owner does have some competition now.

I still think its worth a weekend trip, but its definately not Pattaya, thats for sure

[AyG]

Overall limited nightlife and no taxi's available in the night...

No taxis any time. Just motorcycle taxis and tuk-tuks. This does make getting to the airport a real pain if you don't have your own transportation or helpful friends.

[AyG]

Later on had another look at the big market area off the island, not too hard to spot, just look for the Japanese VIP Karaoke signs. A lot of folk in the Cowboy bar (I think thats its name!).

The big market area is adjacent to the Grand Hotel. Be careful in Cowboy bar. A few farang have had their drinks spiked there and woken up in the morning minus their wallet, gold and motorcycle. (But generally Ayutthaya is very safe.) Daddy's bar in the same area is also very popular.

[jumbo]

Overall limited nightlife and no taxi's available in the night...

No taxis any time. Just motorcycle taxis and tuk-tuks. This does make getting to the airport a real pain if you don't have your own transportation or helpful friends.

Any hotel or guesthouse can help you with that problem and then there is the train and minivan

[fredob43]

Later on had another look at the big market area off the island, not too hard to spot, just look for the Japanese VIP Karaoke signs. A lot of folk in the Cowboy bar (I think thats its name!).

The big market area is adjacent to the Grand Hotel. Be careful in Cowboy bar. A few farang have had their drinks spiked there and woken up in the morning minus their wallet, gold and motorcycle. (But generally Ayutthaya is very safe.) Daddy's bar in the same area is also very popular.

It might be safe who know's but I was told last time I was there that I MUST leave my car in the lock up car park of the hotel, or in the morning bit's not will be, but would be missing. I new this first hand as a friend of mine a couple of month's before parked his pick up on the road outside a hotel "didn't have car park" and in the morning the back window had been taken out didn't damage anything getting it out, and all the electric bit's ect were gone, but they did leave his rear window, nice of them A. No one has pointed out that it along with Bang-Pa-In is one if not the worst place in Thailand for drug's and gang's. Only a few week's ago one of the B/B was arrested for drug's. Just be careful seem's like there all at it.

Edited March 10, 2011 by fredob43