Thailand in late October: the 23rd is a holiday and banks are closed. How to get from Pattaya to Ayutthaya
Friday 23 October is Chulalongkorn Day: banks and government offices are closed, giving a three-day weekend. What to sort out before the holiday and how to do a day trip from Pattaya to Ayutthaya by car or on a tour.
Friday 23 October is a public holiday in Thailand: King Chulalongkorn Memorial Day. Banks, post offices and government offices are closed, and together with Saturday and Sunday that makes three free days in a row. The holiday is nationwide, so Thais travel over these days too.
King Chulalongkorn, Rama V, died on 23 October 1910. Thais remember him as the king who abolished slavery and brought the railway and the postal service to the country. On this day people bring flowers to his portraits and monuments, and in Bangkok the biggest crowds gather at the king's equestrian statue on the Royal Plaza. Bars and restaurants work as usual: it is a memorial day, not a Buddhist holiday, and alcohol is on sale.
What to do before Thursday 22 October:
1. Exchange money - on Friday regular bank branches are closed. Only branches and exchange booths in shopping malls are open, and ATMs always work.
2. Extend your visa if it runs out over the weekend - immigration is closed on the 23rd as well.
3. Book a car and accommodation if you are staying overnight - demand goes up on long weekends.
The beaches will be busy these days, while Ayutthaya is about 200 km from Pattaya, 2.5-3 hours by car. For more than 400 years Ayutthaya was the capital of Siam, until the Burmese army burned the city in 1767. Today the ruins of its temples are a historical park on the UNESCO list.
The easiest way is to rent a car: from 1,250 baht a day, an international driving permit is required. Leave at around 7 am and you will see the main temples before the heat.
A one-day route:
1. Wat Mahathat - the famous Buddha head in the tree roots. People photograph it crouching, so that their head is not higher than the Buddha's.
2. Wat Phra Si Sanphet - three large chedis on the site of the old royal palace, walking distance from Wat Mahathat.
3. Wat Chaiwatthanaram - a Khmer-style temple on the riverbank. Save it for the end of the day, when the heat eases.
Entry to each major temple is 50 baht for foreigners. If you plan more than three, get the combined ticket for 220 baht: it covers six temples, including all three on the list, and is valid for 30 days. Temples are open roughly from 8:00 to 17:00-18:00, and shoulders and knees must be covered.
On the way there or back, stop at the Bang Pa-In summer palace, about 20 km south of Ayutthaya. Many of its pavilions were built under Rama V, so on 23 October it is the most fitting place to visit. Entry is 100 baht, open from 8:00 to 16:00. The dress code is strict: no sleeveless tops, short skirts, leggings or slippers without a heel strap; if needed, clothes are provided on site.
If you would rather not drive, there is the Evening in Ayutthaya tour. It runs on Fridays and Sundays, which means 23 and 25 October. Pick-up from your Pattaya hotel is at 9:00. The programme includes Bang Pa-In palace, temples, a boat cruise around the island and Wat Chaiwatthanaram at sunset, with the return to Pattaya at around 22:30. A Russian-speaking guide, entrance tickets and lunch are included; adults 2,700 baht, children 2,100.
If you still want the sea this weekend, we have a separate Koh Samet plan. It also covers Monday 26 October, when alcohol is not sold anywhere in the country.
And if a weekend like this makes you want to stay longer, have a look at apartments for rent in Pattaya from 12,000 baht a month.
Forward this to friends who are in Pattaya right now and have not decided what to do on 23-25 October. And remind anyone who needs to exchange money or extend a visa: it has to be done by Thursday.
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