Central Thailand

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Overview

The past is never far behind in Central Thailand. Ayuthaya, Siam's former royal capital, is practically an open-air museum, with dozens of enchanting temple ruins peopled by stone Buddhas, while Kanchanaburi's WWII memorials pay tribute to the thousands of lives lost building the Death Railway.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Death Railway Bridge

Kanchanaburi

Constructed by POW labour, this 300m-long bridge is heavy with the history of the Thailand–Burma Railway. Its centre was destroyed by Allied bombs in 1945…
Bang Pa In Palace

Ayuthaya

Ornate buildings are sprinkled across Bang Pa In Palace's 19-hectare gardens. First established in the 17th century, the palace was revived in the 19th…
Wat Ban Tham

Kanchanaburi

In the countryside around Kanchanaburi, cave temples are almost as common as convenience stores are inside the city, but this is one of the most…
Thailand–Burma Railway Centre

Kanchanaburi

This excellent museum balances statistics and historical context with personal accounts of the conditions endured by POWs and other imprisoned labourers…
Wat Ratchaburana

Ayuthaya

The prang (Khmer-style spire) in this large temple complex is one of the best extant versions in the city. There are giant stucco-sculpted Garuda on the…
Wat Chai Wattanaram

Ayuthaya

Glorious in the early morning light and also at sunset, this temple is Ayuthaya's most impressive off-island site thanks to its 35m-high central prang …
Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon

Ayuthaya

Visitors to this photogenic ruin 2km southeast of the island can climb stairs up into the crypt of the stunning 60m-tall, bell-shaped chedi (stupa). There…
Wat Tha Ka Rong

Ayuthaya

With animatronic ghosts, supersized crows and glowing Buddhas, Wat Tha Ka Rong is eerie and playful in equal measure and feels more like a carnival than a…