What to do in Ayutthaya

As the bygone capital of the kingdom of Siam, Ayutthaya acts as a great, open-air museum. On walks, bicycle rides and rice barge cruises, your head will be left spinning by the ancient architecture. Look out for ruined stupas, temples, monasteries and palaces including some of Thailand's oldest and most impressive temples, and striking statues of Buddha including Wat Phra Mahthat where a stone head is suspended in the roots of a giant banyan tree and the golden figure at Wat Panan Choeng, which stands at 19 metres high and was said to have shed tears when the city crumbled.