Ayutthaya, Thailand
Just 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Bangkok is the old capitol of Ayutthaya its pronounced ah-you-tah-ya. The city became Thailand's capitol in the mid-14th century and remained the capitol until the late 18th century. It is estimated that Ayutthaya by the year 1700 century the population was around 1,000,000 making it one of the world's largest cities at that time. In 1767, the city was destroyed by the Burmese army, resulting in the collapse of the kingdom. The ruins of the old city are preserved in the Ayutthaya historical park, they are characterised by the prang (reliquary towers) and gigantic monasteries, give an idea of the city's past splendour.
Getting there
There are a number of options but the most effective options are either by taxi (or Uber) or train.
The train departs from Hua Lamphong to Ayutthaya and costs about $10. It runs every two hours and takes around 1 1/2 hours to make the journey. The walk from the train station is about 850 meters, alternatively you can grab a tuk tuk.