From ancient cities, to grand palaces and world war 2 remnants, here is the ultimate list of the 13 best historical places in Thailand.
Thailand draws in millions of visitors each year for its tropical beaches, lush jungles, famous nightlife and friendly people, but the Land of Smiles also has an abundance of unforgettable historical sites scattered across the country.
With ancient cities, thousand-year old stupas, grand palaces, and remnants from the Second World War, Thailand has a lot to offer for history lover’s
Thailand holds an exclusive claim by being one of only 13 countries in the world that were never directly ruled by a European power. This independence from foreign influence allowed Thailand to maintain its unique culture and architecture while the rest of South-East Asia was swallowed up.
This unique culture is on full display throughout the country’s many amazing historical sites. With so many places for history lover’s to see, it can be hard to know where to start, so in this list I’ve narrowed it down to the absolute 13 best historical places in Thailand.
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13 Amazing Historical Places in Thailand
1| Ayutthaya
Without a doubt one of the best historical places in Thailand, and in South-East Asia, is the ancient city of Ayutthaya.
Founded in 1350 CE, this site was once the capital of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, which is considered the precursor to modern day Thailand. During the late middle ages it was one of the great powers of South-East Asia and eventually invaded and destroyed the rival city of Angkor (Cambodia) to dominate the region.
By around 1700, Ayutthaya was one of the largest cities in the world, with a population of around 1 million. This all came crashing down when the Burmese destroyed it in 1767 and the capital was moved to Bangkok.
Today, what’s left of the city is a well-preserved UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a popular tourist attraction. It’s a massive site, with an abundance of massive temples to see. Exploring the city on pushbike makes for a great experience.Located only about 80km north of Bangkok, it’s easily accessible on a daytrip from the city, alongside the nearby Ayothaya floating markets. Check out day trip tours from Bangkok to Ayutthaya here.
2 | Sukhothai
Another of the best historical places in Thailand is the former capital of the first Siamese (Thai) kingdom: Sukhothai.
Originally founded as an outpost for the Khmer Empire during their hey-day, it became the capital of its own kingdom in the 13th century after the local tribes rose up. At its peak, it ruled over a large swath of land around central Thailand, but its time on top was short lived.
In 1378, it was conquered by Ayutthaya (the number 1 spot on this list) and fell into relative obscurity. While its time on top may have been short, the grandiose temples they built have stood the test of time, making this historical site an unmissable destination for history buffs.
Sukhothai Historical Park is located in ‘lower north’ Thailand, and is one of 3 historical parks (alongside Kamphaeng Phet and Si Satchanalai) that make up the Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The remains of this ancient city are spread out over a large area, but thankfully most hotels and guesthouses in the area offer bike rentals, which makes for a great experience and an efficient way to see the whole site in one day.
3 | The Grand Palace
One of the most popular tourist sites in Bangkok is the home of the Thai monarchy: the Grand Palace.
After the former capital of Ayutthaya was destroyed by Burmese armies in the late 1767, the capital was moved to Bangkok and a new palace was built for the Siamese king.
The Grand Palace housed the ruler and the royal government up until 1925, when they were relocated to somewhere more practical, but it’s still used for ceremonies and is open to the public.
The Palace is one of the most popular tourist sites in the country, with over 8 million visitors each year. The complex is a massive 200,000 square metres, containing some of the most beautiful examples of Thai architecture you’ll ever see, like the famous Wat Pho.
If you’re in Bangkok, you can’t miss seeing the Grand Palace.
4 | Kamphaeng Phet
Making up another third of the Sukhothai UNESCO World Heritage Site is another of Thailand’s most popular historical sites: Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park.
Back in the 13th century, Kamphaeng Phet was one of the central cities that made up the Sukhothai Kingdom, and just like the others it had a short run as one of South-East Asia’s most prosperous settlements.
Aside from the moats, walls and fortifications surrounding the ancient city, what remains today are the incredible temples (Wats) once used as a place of worship for the Buddhist population.
Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park is located about 60km from Sukhothai. Like its neighbouring ancient cities, the ruins are spread out across a large area. Renting a bike is a popular way to explore the whole site in a single day, but there’s also a shuttle service for an additional fee.
Naturally, this site shares many similarities with the nearby historical parks, but if you can’t get enough of Thailand’s ancient cities and want to fully explore the Sukhothai UNESCO World Heritage Site, then you’ll want to visit Kamphaeng Phet.
5 | Phanom Rung
Most of the ancient ruins featured on this list are Siamese (Thai) with distinct Siamese architecture, but in eastern Thailand you’ll find an abundance of Khmer ruins, with architecture that more closely resembles historical sites in Cambodia (like the famous Angkor Wat).
One of the best of these Khmer ruins in Thailand is found at Phanom Rung Historical Park.
Located just 50km from the Cambodian border, this temple complex dates back to the 10th century and is one of the few Khmer temples dedicated to Hinduism, rather than being transformed to Hinduism after it was built.
It sounds strange,, but some of the best “Cambodian” ruins are actually found in Thailand, and Phnom Rung is an example of this. These ruins are more spectacular and better preserved than most at Angkor Archeological Park.
There are a whole bunch of Khmer ruins in this area, and Phanom Rung is often visited in tandem with the nearby Muang Tam (another Hindu temple).
If you don’t have the chance to visit Cambodia, you can get your own little taste of Khmer architecture right here at one of the best historical places in Thailand.
6 | Phimai
If you’ve seen the temples of Phanom Rung but couldn’t get enough of that amazing Khmer architecture, stay in eastern Thailand a little longer and visit Phimai Historical Park.
Back in the 10th century, the Khmer borders extended a lot further west than Cambodia’s does today, and Phimai sat at the end of the Ancient Khmer Highway, a central road system that connected many places to the massive city of Angkor.
The temples of Phimai were built in a way so that they ‘face’ towards Angkor.
Like most temples in Cambodia, it was originally Buddhist when first built, then later altered when the Khmer state religion was changed to Hinduism (an event that some say led to their downfall).
Phimai is a little off the beaten tourist track, but it’s still just as maintained as any major historical site, and has the added benefit of being a lot less busy. Depending on when you visit, you’ll likely have the site almost entirely to yourself.
7 | Ancient Siam
One of Thailand’s most popular museums, and supposedly the largest outdoor museum in the world, is the privately owned Ancient Siam.
Located in the southern outskirts of Bangkok, this 200 acre property, designed roughly in the shape of the country’s borders, contains full sized and miniature recreations of some of Thailand’s most famous buildings.
Exploring the museum is sort of like a historical speedrun through Thailand; a collection of its most famous historical landmarks and monuments all positioned in their correct geographic position inside the Thailand-shaped park.
Many of the replicas in the park were designed with input from the National Museum of Thailand to ensure historical accuracy, and the park is one of the only ways to see some historical buildings that no longer exist, like the Grand Palace of Ayutthaya (destroyed by the Burmese in 1767).
Ancient Siam may not contain any actual historical buildings or artefacts of its own, but it’s a great way to go for a stroll through the country’s past and is one of the most unique historical places in Thailand.
8 | Wat Pho
Just across the road from the Grand Palace is one of Bangkok’s oldest temples.
Its exact year of construction is unknown, but the original temple at Wa Pho (or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, as it’s commonly referred) was built sometime during the late 17th century.
That may not seem very old compared to most temples in Asia, but up until the late 18th century the Thai capital was at Ayutthaya and Bangkok was a relatively small and insignificant settlement.
After the royal family moved to Bangkok in 1782, King Rama I purposely built the Grand Palace next to Wat Pho and began renovating and improving the site using pieces of the pieces of destroyed temples across the Ayutthaya Kingdom. The ashes of this King Rama I are now kept in the temple.
Wat Pho has some of the most beautiful, and colourful, examples of Siamese architecture, but is most renowned for its enormous statue of the reclining Buddha, which led to this temple becoming one of the most popular places to see in Bangkok.
9 | Wat Pratat Doi Suthep
Located on the side of a mountain just outside the tourist hotspot of Chiang Mai lies one of Thailand’s most sacred temples.
Wat Pratat Doi Suthep (Doi Suthep being the name of the mountain) dates back to 1383, when King Kuena ordered a temple be built on the site where his white elephant died. Or at least that’s how the legend goes.
The temple was upgraded over the years and has become a popular tourist destination for those in North Thailand, with its main attractions being its massive golden stupa and great views of the city of Chiang Mai.
Today the temple is easily accessible via road, but up until 1935 worshippers had to hike kilometres up the mountainside to reach it. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can walk in their footsteps and hike the Monks Trail.
10 | Phra Pathom Chedi
As you travel across Thailand, you’re going to see a lot of beautiful Buddhist temples, but none compare to Phra Pathom Chedi.
As the tallest stupa (or Chedi – meaning a Buddhist shrine) in Thailand, Phra Pathom stands at a massive 120 metres tall, and 235 metres around its base. Its size and grandeur has made it among the most popular religious, and tourist, sites in the country.
The origins of Phra Pathom Chedi are shrouded in mystery, but its first temples are assumed to have been built as far back as the 3rd century BCE. Most of the buildings, however, were no doubt built much later, but this still makes this the oldest historical site on this list, and assumedly one of the oldest in Thailand.
Phra Pathom Chedi is located about a 1 hour drive west of Bangkok. It can be visited on a half-day trip, but also works well on a full day-trip combined with Kanchanaburi and the Kai River Bridge (also on this list).
11 | Si Satchanalai
If you want to fully explore the ancient ruins of the Sukhothai Kingdom, your journey isn’t complete until you visit Si Satchanalai Historical Park.
Alongside Sukhothai and Kamphaeng Phet, Si Satchanalai forms the 3rd and final piece of the Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns UNESCO World Heritage Site the former cities that made up this short lived kingdom.
Si Satchanalai was founded in 1250 and, despite not being the official capital, was the residence of the crown prince of Sukhothai.
It has a number of amazing temples to see, but without a doubt its number one attraction is Wat Phra Si (pictured above).
If you can only visit one of the ancient cities in the area, let it be Sukhothai. But if you’re a hardcore history buff who can’t get enough of these Siamese ruins, or want to see all that the UNESCO World Heritage Site has to offer, you’ll love the picturesque temples of Si Satchanalai.
12 | River Kai Bridge
Located in Kanchanaburi, about 120km west of Bangkok, is a simple bridge made famous by a 1957 epic war film.
During World War 2, the Japanese Empire began constructing a railway from Bangkok west into Burma to support their invasion of British India. To build this railway as quickly as possible, they used POWs as slave labour in the most horrible conditions.
It is said that one person lost their life for each plank of wood laid on the track and, because of this, the story of the Burma Railway has become infamous, being featured in numerous books and movies.
The part of the bridge that crosses the Khwae Yai River (River Kai) is a popular destination for those wishing to remember this important part of South-East Asia’s modern history. The bridge is open for tourists to cross by foot, or by train if travelling between Kanchanaburi and Nam Tok.
13 | Kanchanaburi War Cemetery & Railway Centre
Another place of significance for Thailand’s modern history is the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, which houses those who perished building the above-mentioned Burma Railway.
The cemetery contains the remains of 7000 mostly British, Australian and Dutch prisoners of war who were forced to build the railway for the Japanese Empire.
After you’ve visited the cemetery, you can cross the road and learn the story of the cemetery’s residents at the Burma Railway Centre (also called the Death Railway Museum). This building is the former headquarters of the Imperial Japanese Army back when the railway was being built. It’s privately owned & managed by an Australian man, and commemorates the story of the railway’s infamous construction.
If you’ve travelled to Kanchanaburi to see the famous bridge over the River Kai, and are interested in the dark history of the Burma Railway, you’ll want to stop by the War Cemetery and Railway Centre.
There you have it, the 13 best historical places in Thailand. Interested in more historical destinations for your trip to South-East Asia? Check out our posts of nearby destinations below.
