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Beyond Bangkok
There's lots to explore on the fringes of Bangkok and beyond.
Tours leave for the former capital, Ayutthaya, and usually include
a river trip as part of the tour. Some tours even further afield
to places like Khao Yai National Park, home to wild elephants,
and the infamous River Kwai Death Railway. Be prepared to be travelling
for about 2- 3 hours each way, but the transport is air-conditioned
and comfortable and the destinations worth the journey.
A great way to get a taste of Thailand, is take a longer tour
along the Chao Phraya river to Ayutthaya, cruising in converted
rice barges, with side trips along the way.
Ayutthaya
 Several
companies and hotels offer trips that combine bus and boat travel
into a tour that includes lunch; a stop at Bang Pa-in Palace,
a “summer” retreat for Thai monarchs; and a whirlwind
tour of the ancient Thai capital of Ayutthaya. Horizon Cruise
(02-236-7777), operating out of the Shangri-la Hotel, for example,
has a trip available for 1600 baht that takes guests to directly
to Ayutthaya by bus where they visit four monuments. They are
then whisked by the same bus to Bang Pa-in where they visit the
palace. After this they board a luxury cruise boat for lunch and
a leisurely trip down the Chao Phraya to Bangkok. The Oriental
Hotel (02-236-04000) operates a similar trip using its luxurious
Oriental Queen. For those who want to spend more time in Ayutthaya,
rice barges converted into sumptuous four and 10-cabin cruisers
decorated with antiques and oriental carpets offer overnight cruises
to the ancient city. The Mekhala and Manohra 2 operate out of
the Maenam Hotel (02-256-7168) and the Bangkok Marriott Resort
& Spa (02-476-0021) respectively. Call for details about these
luxury trips as itineraries change with demand and the season.
Nakhon Pathom
Although it is one of the oldest cities in Thailand and may have
been inhabited as early as 300 BC, Nakhon Pathom offers only one
visual connection with its past: Phra Pathorm Chedi, the tallest
Buddhist monument in the world. The 127 meter spire was given
its present form in 1860 by King Mongkut who restored and significantly
modified a structure that had lay in ruins since 1057. The initial
monument at the site was erected in the early 6th century by Theravada
Buddhists and is contained within the orange-glazed dome of the
present structure. In the early 11th century, the city was conquered
by Suriyavarman I, a Khmer king from Angkor who built a Brahman-style
prang over the existing structure. A short time later the city
was sacked by the Burmese and the prang lay in ruins until King
Mongkut recreated it when he built a chedi over the remains of
the prang. Nakhon Pathom can easily reached be reached by both
bus and train.
Tourist Train to Kanchanaburi
 On
weekends and holidays, the State Railways of Thailand operates
tourist train from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi. The train first stops
in Nakhon Pathom for one hour so people can view the massive chedi.
It then proceeds to the bridge popularized in the movie Bridge
Over the River Kwai. Although the original version was made of
wood, it was quickly replaced by an ordinary looking steel structure.
After an hour at the bridge, passengers are taken by minibus to
Prasat Meuang Singh Historical Park, a fascinating site containing
the remnants of a 13th century Khmer outpost of the Angkor empire.
Other highlights include lunch alongside the river, a visit to
a bat cave and a stop at one of the areas war cemeteries. The
trip only costs 250 baht for adults and half that for children.
More information can be obtained from the SRT.
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