Wat Ratchaburana

In 1424 King Intharacha of Ayutthaya died leaving three sons; the two elder fought for the throne in single combat on elephant-back and both were killed, and the third, Borommaracha II, took the crown and built Wat Ratchaburana over the site where his brothers were cremated. The central prang, in Khmer style, still stands to a considerable height and can be entered - a steep internal stair leads down into two crypt chambers with wall paintings, among the oldest surviving murals in Thailand, showing Chinese-influenced figures and Buddhist scenes. The upper crypt held an enormous royal treasure of gold regalia, votive tablets and jewellery, which was looted by robbers in 1957; what was recovered is displayed at the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum in Ayutthaya. The crypt is dark, hot, low and cramped, and the stair down is steep and worn.

What you actually see

• The central prang - Khmer-style tower standing to a good height.
• The painted crypts - among the oldest surviving murals in Thailand.
• The 1424 story - two princes killed in combat, the third building the temple.
• The looted treasure - stolen in 1957, the recovered part now in the city museum.

When to go

November to February. Early or late; the site is unshaded. The crypt is stiflingly hot at any hour and worse in the middle of the day.

Honest expectations

The crypt stair is steep, worn and narrow, and the chambers are dark, low and airless - unsuitable for claustrophobia or limited mobility. No shade above ground. The treasure is in the museum, not on site.

Nearby

Wat Mahathat is directly opposite; Wat Phra Si Sanphet is west.