​On Day 5 of our tour we traveled from Bangkok to the Ancient City of Ayutthaya. On our way to the city we stopped to visit the Bang Pa-in Palace complex, a collection of beautiful buildings in various architectural styles situated around a lake. The Bang Pa-in Palace was originally constructed by King Prasat Tong in 1632 and served as the Royal Summer Palace for the Thai kings. Over the centuries additions were added to the complex. After lunch we continued to the Ayutthaya Historical Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) in the center of the city where the remains of the ancient capital can be seen. Ayutthaya was the capital of the second Siamese kingdom after the fall of Sukhothai. The kingdom lasted for over 400 years. We visited the Chai Wattanaram Temple, which was designed in a style similar to the Angkor Temple of Cambodia, built by King Prasat Thong to honor his mother. While in Ayutthaya we also visited the ruins of the Wat Mahathat, another temple complex dating back to the 14th century. 

​Ayutthaya