Which Is The Best Temple Site In Thailand?

November 1, 2009

been many time to Thailand but on my next trip want to spend a few days doing the proper tourist thing and visit some ancient sites and temples ....

which is the most impressive do you think ??? i heard there are some good sies in the north

gotlost · November 1, 2009

been many time to Thailand but on my next trip want to spend a few days doing the proper tourist thing and visit some ancient sites and temples ....
which is the most impressive do you think ??? i heard there are some good sies in the north

The ancient site of Sukhothai second only to Ayutthaya. As for temples Wat Doi Suthep and Wat Doi Saket both just side of Chiang Mai (city).

aitch52 · November 1, 2009

1927

Yes Ayutthaya is well worth a visit, haven't been to Sukkothai as yet but it is on the agenda, also Phitsanulok, Wat Yai and King Naruesuans Palace. The tour of Phitsanulok sites which leaves from Wat Yai is also recommended. The night Bazaar by the Nan River also offers good relaxing entertainment in the evenings.

Cheers

citizen33 · November 1, 2009

If ancient refers to some of the very earliest Khmer temples, Phanom Rung (near Buriram) and Phimai in the North-east may be worth looking at.

klfopera · November 1, 2009

been many time to Thailand but on my next trip want to spend a few days doing the proper tourist thing and visit some ancient sites and temples ....
which is the most impressive do you think ??? i heard there are some good sies in the north

Unfortunately (except for Sokothai and Ayudaya) Preah Wiharn is the best I have seen in Thailand (and I have seen them all) but, of course, it is not open to tourists now because of the dispute between Thailand and Cambodia. So I would go to Phi Mai in Khorat.

gotlost · November 1, 2009

been many time to Thailand but on my next trip want to spend a few days doing the proper tourist thing and visit some ancient sites and temples ....
which is the most impressive do you think ??? i heard there are some good sies in the north

Unfortunately (except for Sokothai and Ayudaya) Preah Wiharn is the best I have seen in Thailand (and I have seen them all) but, of course, it is not open to tourists now because of the dispute between Thailand and Cambodia. So I would go to Phi Mai in Khorat.

I saw Preah Wiharn about a month before it was closed. Outstanding to bad about the dispute.

isanbirder · November 1, 2009

I've been to all the more important Khmer sites in the north-east, and my favourite, largely for the atmosphere, is Ta Meuan. The main temple is badly ruined, but the location, in deep forest, is wonderful (and hardly any tourists!). Phra Viharn... the site is superb, the temple is a mess. Probably best of all is Phanomrung, in a relatively good state of preservation, and sited on an extinct volcano. Phimai is better preserved, but I always feel hemmed in by the modern town.

Forgot to mention, if you're in the Sukhothai/Pitsanulok area, you should not miss Sri Satchanalai, a much more attractive site than Sukhothai.

Xonax · November 2, 2009

In Khong Chiam (Ubon Ratchatanee) there is a great temple overlooking the town and the Mekong river. Unfortunastely I do not remember the name, but easy to find as Khong Chiam is just a small town.

Ayutthaya69 · November 2, 2009

been many time to Thailand but on my next trip want to spend a few days doing the proper tourist thing and visit some ancient sites and temples ....
which is the most impressive do you think ??? i heard there are some good sies in the north

Ayutthaya Sukothai

SantiSuk · November 3, 2009

Ancient - Sri Satchanalai . Modern - Doi Suthep

None of Thailand's old wat areas can match Angkor Wat in Cambodia though. One of the most impressive ancient sites in the world.

shamus · November 3, 2009

Phnom Rung is impressive if you go at sunrise/set. It's beautiful when the coaches go. However if I was you I'd carry on over the mountain and visit Muang Tam. I loved it and could have spent all day there.

I went with a devout Buddhist Thai lady friend who lives less than 15 minutes scooter ride from Muang Tam yet she had never been because it was too far and she was too 'keekiat' 800 year old Buddhist temple we're talking about here drawing people from hundreds of miles away

November 4, 2009

Thanks for the help, im coming for a 6 month visit so time is not an issue ....... is it viable to travel up from bangkok and head to Chang Mai visiting Ayutthaya + Sukothai on the way ??? been about 10 times to Thailand with the wife but every trip involves bangkok/pattaya/samui and thats it ..... anything north of Bangkok and i aint got a clue....

phetaroi · November 4, 2009

Thanks for the help, im coming for a 6 month visit so time is not an issue ....... is it viable to travel up from bangkok and head to Chang Mai visiting Ayutthaya + Sukothai on the way ??? been about 10 times to Thailand with the wife but every trip involves bangkok/pattaya/samui and thats it ..... anything north of Bangkok and i aint got a clue....

Very viable. I've done it by car twice.

phetaroi · November 4, 2009

Phnom Rung is impressive if you go at sunrise/set. It's beautiful when the coaches go. However if I was you I'd carry on over the mountain and visit Muang Tam. I loved it and could have spent all day there.

I loved Phanom Rung, and I agree that one should take in Muang Tam. Haven't been in at least a decade, however. Has much more been done to it in terms of renovation?

SantiSuk · November 4, 2009

It's a natural trip. The roads are fast and good quality and driving the highways of Thailand is pretty easy since amazingly Thailand uses English so comprehensively (except on minor roads).

Although roads are generally well-signed, the difficult bit is getting out of Bangkok because the fast highways are signposted to little known suburban towns - you will not see a signpost to Ayyuthya or 'the North', like you would in most 1st world countries. Maybe someone with better BKK knowledge than me could advise if this is correct, but assuming that you would rent car at the airport then follow signs to Bangkok, then Chaeng Wattana, then Bang Pa-In (all this without coming off toll highways). Keep on the toll highway until it ends at a toll booth about 40k (guessing) north of BKK. Tolls will add up to about 100 baht. Once through the booth, you are faced with a Y junction - take the right hand fork which takes you onto the westbound carriage of highway 9 (Bangkok's peripheral highway). At last you will see signs for Ayyuthya branching off to the left/north, which is now only 20k away. Airport to Ayyuthya takes about 90 minutes outside rush hours.

Highway 1 Ayyuthya to Nakhon Sawan and Kamphaeng Phet, then Highway 101 to Sukhothai. Probably about 5-6 hours. Sukkothai is great and Satchanali (60k north) is even more serene and beautiful if you have the time.

Sukkothai to Chiang Mai via Tak - probably 6-8 hours. If you can find it on your map then Wat Pra Tat Lampang Luang in Lampang (90 minutes short of Chiang Mai) is an ancient wooden temple well worth a visit en route.

Get a good Think Net bilingual map of Thailand for 120 baht (price of 3 years ago) from the airport or any good Bangkok bookstore. Get the regional 1:550,000 versions for Northern Thailand and for Central Thailand if you like to explore off the beaten track, if you worry about losing your way, or just like looking at maps like me!

You will see much more of Thailand and its culture once you get off the flying around tourist spots kick.

Search Thai Visa for driving hints. If you are going off the major highways you need to know about dogs and cattle!

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Post script - my shot at driving hints on an earlier forum (albeit talking about smaller roads in Isaan) was as follows:

As long as you are well briefed on the idiosyncrasies of Thailand driving you should have no worries. My tips would be:

* Don't drive too fast - on roads going through villages slow down to 50 kph - dogs, children and assorted farm animals will assail you. Same applies to rural roads where there is farm traffic, pedestrians or motorcycles.

* On fast dual carriageway roads (well you are a Brit so you understand that curiously old fashioned description) you can safely drive at 140kph but keep 100 or 200 baht available for the BIB (boys in brown = cops). They hide on the fastest and safest stretches of roads to collect money. Unless you are in a hurry best to treat 110 kph as tops.

* At dusk (particularly dangerous) and after dark be very careful not to run into unlit farm tractor trailers - a meccano-like contraption that struggles along at 5mph and crazily are permitted to not have lights (so they never do).

* When approaching motorcycles expect them to swing out violently with no warning because of some pothole in the road. If you are on a smaller road or potholed road it makes sense to honk as you approach

* A single short honk on a horn is polite in Thailand to tell someone of your approach. Long angry blasts are not (but oh how I long to use them all the time!). Use the short bip on the horn a lot.

* When approaching dogs adjust your speed to be able to stop if necessary. They are stupid and untrained and will dart across the road or stop midstream or suddenly turn back into the road when you think they are walking off the tarmac. I have killed two in 3 years here - one before I knew these rules (i.e. my fault - I was driving at 80 kph on a four lane road but through a small town; had I been at 60 the dog would have lived) and one last night which I could do nothing about. It suddenly appeared in the headlights and froze. I was not about to swerve and risk all my Thai family of 11!

* On no account swerve for an animal. Thais expect their animals to get killed. They must do - I see them laugh when their own dogs chase out into the road to bark at vehicles. Sorry - I am very jaundiced after last night's experience.

* Cows are tethered by the road, but often their leads are long enough to allow them to get into the centre of the road and they are taken care of by half-wits who will beat one that does, thus causing all the others to break away into the road. Give cows a very careful watch on approach and a wide berth or slow to a crawl.

* Elephants don't have lights either. I've seen a few of those being ridden along Isaan roads

* When overtaking at speed, watch the car you are about to overtake carefully - if it is old and is moving toward the centre of the road it is possibly about to turn right in front of you and has no indicator signals working or will use them at the very last minute. If in any doubt give them a long blast on the horn (b*gger protocol!) and a long headlight flash or slow down to overtake with great care.

* Do not expect Thais to use indicators well before any maneuver (or at all)

* As already said Thais use the headlight main beam to signal - 'get out of the way I am not going to stop'

* Get over the fact that Thais are incredibly rude and sometimes aggressive when in their cars (less so on the aggression in Ubon province, but Bangkok??!!) - you will be amazed at the myth of the smiley Thai when you see their driving. They will drive you insane if you cannot control your induced road rage!

* Be your normal polite British driver and have a laugh at the incredulity shown on Thai driver's faces when you stop to let them in or the look of utter disbelief on a pedestrian's face if you stop at a pedestrian crossing (why do they waste the paint?). Actually I think the look is tinged with scepticism that says 'you are going to rev up and run me over aren't you if I put a foot onto this crossing'

* Concentrate, concentrate, concentrate

Driving, believe it or not, is actually good fun in Thailand - because of all the very obstacles I have described. After a long safe trip you can congratulate yourself on a job well done.

Lannatyne · November 4, 2009

Try to drive by road and highway numbers, NOT by town and city names.

SantiSuk · November 4, 2009

Try to drive by road and highway numbers, NOT by town and city names.

Doesn't work on Bangkok highways if I remember right. Road numbers are not signed until you get further out, or am I mistaken?

shamus · November 4, 2009

I loved Phanom Rung, and I agree that one should take in Muang Tam. Haven't been in at least a decade, however. Has much more been done to it in terms of renovation?

I am not in a position to say, I have only been 3 times and they have all been in the last 18 months. Aparantly Michael Jackson was made to return a piece he had taken for his collection (took a photo but I cant be bothered to relearn how to use putfile). Might have been good at moonwalking but what a waster that man was.

November 4, 2009

hadnt even thought about renting a car .... was thinking train or coach if im honest ...... perhaps i should consider it?

SantiSuk · November 5, 2009

Yes - bit presumptive of me. If you are on your own it makes much more sense to save the planet and would be much cheaper. A reliable hire car (say Budget, booking thru' the Tv agent) would cost 1,100 baht a day [£20] (including full insurance) and the fuel could be the best part of 5,000 baht [£100] for a return trip. Train/bus/local taxi fares are unlikely to exceed 4,000 baht [£80] for a return trip.

Should be no problem whichever way you go. The train line to Chiang Mai conveniently goes through Ayyuthya and within 80k of Sukkothai. The itinerary would be train to Ayyuthya; train to Phitsanulok from Ayyuthya; bus to Sukkothai (or New Sukkothai) and back from Phitsanulok; train to Chiang Mai from Phitsanulok. The only thing to be aware of is that the ancient Monument park in Sukkothai is 20k from New Sukkothai, which is where most of the accommodation, all of the entertainment and more of the transport links are located.

Get the train schedule by searching on Thailand Railways and clicking on the 'Northern Line' tab.

Busing it all the way would take a bit more research by you (start with Lonely Planet) and questioning on Tv.com

Kan Win · November 5, 2009

been many time to Thailand but on my next trip want to spend a few days doing the proper tourist thing and visit some ancient sites and temples ....
which is the most impressive do you think ??? i heard there are some good sies in the north

Well to me 'The Temples' are the best. As for some "ancient sites" they have been covered or uncovered on this thread.