Thailand forum

Hi Emjay,

You can jump off and spend a day in Ayutthya and Lopburi, though Ayutthaya is really worth an overnight stop, while you can see most of what Lopburi has to offer in a few hours.

So you could do something like train to Ayutthya, do an overnight stay, then jump on a morning train to Lopburi, leave your luggage at the station and explore Lopburi then jump back on a night train heading north to Chiang Mai.

You'll need separate tickets for each leg, and while the fares displayed on the SRT site are all ex-Bangkok, you can get tickets just for the legs. What you'd need to do is buy a Bangkok to Ayutthaya ticket, an Ayutthaya to Lopburi ticket and a Lopburi to Chiang Mai one. It's worth noting that the only leg you really need to think about booking in advance for is the last leg as the other two will be daytime legs, so you can just go 3rd or 2nd class without worrying about sleepers.

Hope that helps

Hi Emjay,

If it wasn't for the monkey bonus in Lopburi, I'd say Ayutthaya -- just because there is soo much more to see. You can do elephant rides to some of the temples which may be a thrill for your son (though you'll be able to do that in Chiang Mai as well). There is also an elephant rehab project in Ayutthaya -- I've not seen the place myself, but it may be of interest -- you can see more here: Elephant Stay

Monkeys aside, you'll need about 3 hours at a comfortable pace to see all the main ruins in Lopburi, so if you've got limited time it may be the better choice.

Yes you can book all your tickets in Bangkok.

check the overnight train times before you make any firm decisions. it seems to me that the train we took from bangkok to chiang mai arrived in ayutthaya just after 9 pm (2100), and didn't get to lop buri until well after 10 pm. i think there are earlier trains too, but i suspect you'll want to figure this into your plans, since hanging out for hours waiting for your train to arrive is no fun with a 13-year-old in tow.

as for me, i'd vote for ayutthaya over lop buri. the ruins in lop buri are good, but ayutthaya is better, and you'll have a lot of time to kill in lop buri after the sites close up waiting for the train to arrive. ayutthaya does have some fun, if not a bit pricey, elephant rides out in the historical area, and the 4 pm boat trip around the island is very nice.

if you do make the day stop in either place, getting a day room will give you a place to drop your stuff, rest, and clean up before the train arrives.

either place is a good choice. and while i personally prefer ayutthaya, you won't go wrong with either option. have a great time.