Wat Lokayasutharam

Phra Buddha Sai Yat at Wat Lokayasutharam is a brick and plaster reclining Buddha about forty-two metres long and eight high, lying in the open air on the western side of the Ayutthaya island with nothing over it - the viharn that once enclosed it was destroyed in 1767 and only column stumps remain around the figure. It rests on a lotus-shaped support with the head raised, and it is regularly draped in saffron cloth by worshippers. Unlike the ticketed temples in the centre of the historical park this one is free and unstaffed, on a quiet residential edge of the island, and it gets a fraction of the visitors - most people arrive, spend fifteen minutes and move on. The image has been restored more than once and the plaster surface is modern over an older core. There is no shade whatsoever and the brick and ground radiate heat by mid-morning.

What you actually see

• The reclining Buddha - forty-two metres, in the open with no roof.
• The column stumps - remains of the viharn destroyed in 1767.
• The saffron cloth - draped over the figure by worshippers.
• The free access - unticketed and unstaffed, unlike the central temples.

When to go

November to February, early or late in the day. There is no shade at all and the site is severe in midday heat. Half an hour covers it.

Honest expectations

No shade, no facilities and no interpretation beyond a panel. The plaster surface is modern restoration over an older core. It is a fifteen-minute stop rather than a visit.

Nearby

Wat Phra Si Sanphet and the palace grounds are east; Wat Chaiwatthanaram is across the river.