T he Ancient City showcases historical sites in various forms. Some are replicas of real sites, some have been requisitioned from old temples, some are the products of imagination from local literature. What all the displays have in common is that they are genuinely Thai without any pretence. And they were created with scrupulous attention to detail in terms of what was the custom at a particular point in the history. Climbing to the top, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Ancient City.
Visitors enter the area, shaped like a map of Thailand, by the country's southern tip.
The entrance is in the form of a traditional city wall and gate. That, from Nakhon Si Thammarat. Not far away is the stupa of Phra Maha That Chaiya, a notable Surat Thani site. Dozens more interesting sites await. Once the symbol of the old capital of Ayutthaya, it is now also the symbol of the Ancient City.