Wat Tha Ka Rong

Top choice in 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 Buddhist temple. There are dozens of things to do and buy to make merit and hundreds of Buddhist, Hindu, animist and just-for-fun statues to see; the skeletons doing the wâi (palms-together Thai greeting) catch passers-by with motion sensors. It's just northwest of the island.

There's a weekend floating market nearby.