Getting there and away

Air

The closest airport to Ayutthaya is Bangkok's Don Muang for domestic flights. From this airport, it's a short walk to the train station from where you can jump on a train and be in Ayutthaya in just over an hour. Those arriving on international flights at Suvarnabhumi Airport will need to connect with one of the options listed below.

Train

There's at least one train an hour starting at 04:20 until 23:40 from Bangkok's Hualamphong station to Ayutthaya and the trip takes about ninety minutes. A third class seat is generally sufficient as it's such a short trip. Try to board early in order to grab a window seat. The trip costs 20B (third class).

In Ayutthaya the train station is located to the east of the island. When exiting the station, cross the road and walk down the soi opposite the station to a boat pier at the end. It costs a few baht to take a boat to the opposite bank, from where it is a ten-minute walk to most of the accommodation.

Bus

Buses leave throughout the day from Mo Chit bus station in Bangkok to Ayutthaya, taking up to two hours. From Ayutthaya, the bus station for Bangkok-bound buses is a five-minute walk from the town centre. Buses leave every 20 mins from 04:30 to 20:00. Cost 50B.

Van
Located along the skytrain network which provides good access throughout the city, minivan leave from Bangkok's Victory Monument to Ayutthaya every 30 mins, from 05:00 to 20:00. Cost 60B, taking about an hour, they drop you right in the heart of Ayutthaya's backpacker zone. From Ayutthaya, vans leave from the end of Naresuan Soi 1, for Bangkok's Victory Monument every 30 mins, from 05:00 to 18:00. Cost 60B.

Getting Around

The ruins are fairly spread out so you should consider some wheels to make things easier. Bicycles are available just about everywhere and make getting around the sites a breeze for just 40B per day, while mopeds can be resnted from many guesthouses for 150B per day.

Ayutthaya has its own version of tuk tuks that look more like frogs than cars. The drivers can be difficult to bargain with, but if you are planning on temple-trawling, try hiring one for the day to get a better deal.