A stupa among fields
About 80 metres of white.
Kriengsak Jirasirirojanakorn — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kriengsak Jirasirirojanakorn — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ddalbiez — CC BY 3.0 · Kriengsak Jirasirirojanakorn — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kriengsak Jirasirirojanakorn — CC BY-SA 4.0
A huge white stupa standing alone among rice fields north-west of Ayutthaya island, about eighty metres tall and visible from far across the flat plain. The Burmese built it after their first conquest of Ayutthaya in 1569 in Mon-Burmese style, and the Thais rebuilt it in their own style after the city was freed, so it blends the two. Visitors climb a steep stair winding around the square stepped base to a terrace halfway up, with wide views over fields, villages and the river. In the square before the stupa stands a monument to King Naresuan, who freed the kingdom from the Burmese, ringed by rooster statues offered to him, and an open ground where a spring fair is held. Entry is free. The stair is steep, narrow and shadeless, so avoid it at midday and with small children. Modest dress is expected. The stupa is a little way from the island temples, so a scooter or tuk-tuk is easiest. Come just before sunset, when the white turns gold above the fields, and pair it with Wat Na Phra Men on the way.
About 80 metres of white.
Burmese and Thai.
The kingdom's liberator.
Among the fields north-west of Ayutthaya island
The stair to the halfway terrace is steep, narrow and shadeless, so climb in the morning or before sunset.