Just a short drive from Bangkok, Ayutthaya offers the perfect weekend escape—a mix of history, quiet countryside, and diverse experiences. This time, we didn’t explore much but instead chose to revisit places we’d enjoyed on previous trips.
Halfway to Ayutthaya, we stopped in Bang Pa-In and kicked off the trip with lunch at Ton Nam Restaurant, a local favorite known for its riverside setting and Thai comfort food. The restaurant floats directly on the Chao Phraya River, and we actually dined on a large boat converted into a dining area. The menu features traditional Thai dishes, with their signature being large river prawns. They’ve even received mentions from Michelin.
Ton Nam Restaurant is a casual riverside dining spot in the Bang Pa-In district of Ayutthaya, set right along the Chao Phraya River. Known for its floating wooden setup, the restaurant offers scenic views and a laid-back, open-air atmosphere, making it a popular choice for those seeking a relaxed meal by the water. Though not fancy, the charm of Ton Nam lies in its simplicity and the freshness of its seafood.
The menu features a wide variety of authentic Thai dishes, with a particular focus on seafood. Popular choices include pla tod (crispy fried fish), goong ob woonsen (baked prawns with glass noodles), as well as various Thai curries and stir-fried specialties. With its riverside location and flavorful local cuisine, Ton Nam is a great spot to enjoy a tranquil meal while taking in the natural beauty of the Chao Phraya River.
After lunch, we walked over to Bang Pa-In Palace, the former summer retreat of Thai kings. (Last time I tried to visit, I was turned away for wearing shorts…) While it’s far from a must-see, the eclectic blend of European, Chinese, and Thai architecture makes it a pleasant visit. You can rent a golf cart to get around, but the site isn’t really large enough to require one.
Bang Pa‑In Royal Palace, also known as the Summer Palace, is a royal retreat palace situated about 60 km north of Bangkok, on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in Ayutthaya Province. Originally built in 1632 by King Prasat Thong, the palace was abandoned after the fall of Ayutthaya, then revived and rebuilt in the mid-19th century by King Mongkut (Rama IV) and completed between 1872 and 1889 under King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). It’s a complex of eclectic architecture, blending Thai, Chinese, and European styles, in a garden with ponds.
Far from a must‑see, the site is still interesting to check out if you’re in the area. Some of the palaces feel a bit dated, but the grounds are pleasant to walk through, with manicured gardens, canals, and the iconic Thai pavilion on the lake. Golf carts are available for rent, though the site isn’t large enough to really need them.
Note that a formal dress is required—shoulders and knees should be covered.
For the night, we stayed at Baan Veanglhek (they’ve updated the spelling of the name), a peaceful guesthouse with a few well-kept rooms and a charming garden café. Their riverside sala is a perfect spot for a coffee or a quiet read. Dinner was just a short walk away at Sampaonava, a stylish restaurant right on the river, where we enjoyed modern Thai cuisine with a view.
I don’t remember how I found out about this place, but it’s quite a small hotel directly riverside, with ancient architecture in wood modernized to be convenient with aircon and nice bathroom. Really a place like feels like luxury, the garden is very well taken care of, there’s a jetty and wood house to the river and a temple on the other side. The room is large and comfortable, with a canopy bed.
The price was not cheap but reasonable for the standing, 3-4000ish.
It was recently renamed (well same name but different latin translation) Baan Veanglhek.
The next morning, we headed to the Sriayuthaya Lion Park, about 45 minutes from Ayutthaya. It was a public holiday, so the place was uncomfortably crowded, but it’s still a surprisingly good zoo where you can get very close to the animals. I’d definitely want to return on a random weekday with fewer people. It’s the kind of place that might draw harsh judgment from some Western tourists—yes, the animal shows are outdated and a bit ridiculous (orangutans in costumes, elephant tricks), and some enclosures are small, especially for the big cats, which are moved to tight cages during the day to be viewed up close.
Still, we ended up staying more than two hours, as the park is bigger than it looks and full of variety. Kids loved it—there are interactive activities with many animals, including farm animals like rabbits and sheep, and you can feed almost everything, even the crocodiles and big cats (with supervision, of course).
Sriayuthaya Lion Park, located in Ayutthaya Province, is a fairly large wildlife park where visitors can see lions, tigers, and ligers (lion-tiger hybrids) up close, along with dozens of other animal species.
The park is virtually unknown to foreign tourists, as it’s well off the beaten path, but it is surprisingly well-maintained, and most animals appear to be in good health. Some enclosures—especially those for birds and certain monkeys—are spacious and lush with vegetation. Others, notably for big cats, are much smaller and clearly designed to bring the animals close to visitors.
Sriayuthaya Lion Park also offers many interactive experiences, including feeding animals (even giving meat to crocodiles and big cats) and taking photos with them. While this can be entertaining, it sometimes feels a bit excessive or uncomfortable, especially as nearly every activity is monetized. Still, the low entry price (100 THB for Thai adults, 50 THB for children, and 300 THB for foreigners) helps balance that out.
Even with some of the conditions not being ideal by Western standards, the park offers a unique and unusual glimpse into how wildlife tourism is approached locally—and it is worth a visit if you’re in the area and curious.
We wrapped up the trip with lunch at a small open-air restaurant surrounded by rice paddies—simple, fresh, and a perfect reminder of the slower pace of life just outside the city.
Ayutthaya is often seen as a historical destination, but even without visiting a single temple or ruin, a weekend here can be rich, relaxing, and full of small discoveries.
