Glaring from an enormous marble base is this gigantic statue of King Naresuan, the 16th-century monarch renowned for his efforts to free Ayuthaya from Burmese control. It's worth walking around this handsome, horseback statue to admire reliefs of some of his legendary exploits, including wrestling a crocodile.
King Naresuan Monument
Ayuthaya
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
10.05 MILES
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…
1.97 MILES
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…
2 MILES
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 …
3.85 MILES
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…
1.58 MILES
At this captivating ruined temple, three wonderfully intact stupas form one of Ayuthaya's most iconic views. Built beginning in 1448, this was a private…
29.81 MILES
Plan to spend a few hours at this former royal palace, now the Somdet Phra Narai National Museum, which houses excellent displays of local history. Built…
0.99 MILES
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…
1.31 MILES
Featuring a gorgeous 6m-high Buddha flanked by maroon columns, this active temple was one of the few to escape the wrath of Burma's invading army in 1767;…
Nearby Ayuthaya attractions
0.25 MILES
Originally built under Burmese occupation in the 16th century, the top section of this huge white stupa, whose name means 'Golden Mountain', was added…
0.94 MILES
North of Wat Na Phra Men, where few foreigners venture, this small temple ruin has a mid-sized stupa in pretty good condition and a completely toppled…
0.99 MILES
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…
1.09 MILES
Thousands of toys from across the decades are amassed in this jam-packed private museum. Rare porcelain elephants, wooden Japanese kokeshi dolls, wind-up…
1.29 MILES
A weathered Buddha, about all that remains intact from the wí·hăhn (assembly hall), sits picturesquely in front of a bell-shaped stupa at this small…
1.31 MILES
Featuring a gorgeous 6m-high Buddha flanked by maroon columns, this active temple was one of the few to escape the wrath of Burma's invading army in 1767;…
1.35 MILES
This early-Ayuthaya temple ruin in the island's northwest features an impressive 42m-long reclining Buddha in front of a precariously leaning prang (Khmer…
1.56 MILES
The field north of Wat Phra Si Sanphet full of brick foundations, walls and little else was once the royal palace compound of the Ayuthaya kingdom. There…