An hour’s drive away from Bangkok, Ayutthaya was the second Siamese capital since 1350. Characterised by reliquary towers and monasteries, Ayutthaya’s remains reveal an elaborate but systematic ancient city. Today, visitors can explore 289 hectares of the historical park’s UNESCO World Heritage property areas, confined to the former Royal Palace precinct, surrounding monuments, and the Wat Ratchaburana temple crypts displaying surviving murals, sculptures, and palm-leaf manuscripts.