It would be easy to say all the ruins of Ayutthaya look the same, but in reality, they differ in size, popularity and character.

Wat Mahathat is one of the busier places that attracts a lot of tourists and is best known for the Buddha’s head in the tree. The Head was lopped off when Ayutthaya was sacked by the Burmese, and the roots of a bodhi tree grew around it. It’s one of the ‘must see‘ things when visiting Ayutthaya.

There is a small car park right next to the Wat, but get there early otherwise you won’t get a space. There is a much larger car park a little further down before the site and only a 5 minute walk. There are tuk tuks parked up at the small car park. (We had car trouble the first day we were there and one of the tuk tuk drivers took us all around looking for a mechanic, so they are a very different breed to the tuk tuk drivers in Bangkok).

As per other sites, entry is by ticket and the prices are the same as other sites – 10 Baht for Thai and 50 Baht for foreigners. One of the nice things about Wat Mahathat was that there are plenty of trees around, so there was some shade. It was nice to get out from under the sun, if just for a moment.

The Buddha head attracted most of the attention, with people jostling for space to take a photo. There is a small deck where people can sit and take photos as well. Some consider the fact the tree roots didn’t obscure the Buddha’s face a miracle, which maybe why it get’s so much attention.

The Burmese invaders did a lot of damage, decapitating most of the depictions of Buddha, but not all. A couple still survive intact, sitting serenely among the ruins, and it was nice to see a complete Buddha survive the centuries.

Although quite busy, this was still quiet enough to enjoy the space and there was more to see here than at Wat Phra Si Sanphet, but it wasn’t my favourite of the ruins. (I’ll save for last).