If you go to Bangkok you must go on a day trip to Ayutthaya! One day is pretty much enough, it's the ancient city so it has a lot of ruins. The only downside is that there aren't many good restaurants. The best mean of travelling is either by bike or scooter, you can rent them for a day for a really cheap price. The traffic isn't as dense as in Bangkok so it's easier to drive there.

Ayutthaya is amazing! That's the consensus of my son and me. It was only a short train ride from Bangkok and then a quick hike to our hotel where we settled in for the night. After a good night's sleep, we awakened to find ourselves in a land that was filled with ancient wonders and seemingly endless beauty. Early in the morning, we made our way to a river pier and made arrangements for a guide and long boat rental.
The long boat was a fantastic way to get around Ayutthaya. In the boat, we mingled in the river with sister long boats, humongous barges, and other water vessels. Everyone we saw on the river had a smile and a wave to exchange for ours. We saw the city as well as the Ayutthaya Historic Park. We really could not believe our eyes. The ruins were truly spectacular. Our guide allowed us to debark and explore Ayutthaya as closely as we wanted. We took full advantage and scrambled around the ruins and explored the markets to our hearts content.
We both enjoyed our day immensely and could have easily spent more time in Ayutthaya, but we elected to continue our journey and perhaps return to amazing Ayutthaya again, another day.
Good Journeys!

The Ayutthaya historical park covers the ruins of the old city of Ayutthaya, Thailand, which was founded by King Ramathibodi I in 1350 and was the capital of the country until its destruction by the Burmese army in 1767. In 1969 the Fine Arts Department began with renovations of the ruins, which became more serious after it was declared a historical park in 1976. The park was declared a UNESCO World heritage site in 1981.

the place is awesome! full of historic places, marvelous temples and ruins! food is cheap, accommodation ranges from backpackers to 5-stars. transpo is not a prob here. to roam the city, its best to do it with a bicycle, cheap and most of all environmentally-friendly. from bangkok, u can take a train to ayuthaya (most economical way to go there), bus or service-van.

The ancient city of Ayuthaya are a must for any visitor to Thailand. Even for people without knowledge of Thai history (such as myself!) it's a great place to see. It makes for many great pictures, especially if you go there later in the afternoon. The soft light makes the ruins look mystic and takes you back in time. It's a stunning sight.