#58 best destination in the world
Wat Pho
- #17 of the top 25 landmarks in the world
- First-class royal temple built under King Rama I
- Built in the 16th century
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
Wang Saen Suk
- Buddhist temple that is meant to describe and depict Naraka (Buddhist hell)
The Sanctuary of Truth
- Unfinished museum designed in the Ayutthaya style
- Constructed entirely out of wood, and it contains only wood-carved idols and sculptures
- Construction first began on the Sanctuary of Truth in 1981 and continues as of 2020, though visitors are permitted inside with hard hats
Wat Samphran
- Buddhist temple (wat) notable for its 17-story tall pink cylindrical building with a gigantic red-and-green dragon sculpture curling around the entire height
- The interior of the dragon sculpture contains a spiraling flight of stairs, which has however deteriorated to a poor condition in places
- It also contains a huge Buddha statue as well as many additional Buddhist statues
Ayutthaya Historical Park
- Ruins of the old city of Ayutthaya
- Founded in 1351 by King Ramathibodi I
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
Red Lotus Lake
- Lotus flowers bloom in this lake, you can rent a boat to get a complete view
Ban Chiang
- Archeological site including several skeletons and bronze grave gifts such as bracelets, rings anklets, wires, spearheads, axes, hooks, blades and bells
- Dates back to 4420 BC, making it the earliest Bronze Age culture in the world
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
Wat Rong Khun
- Privately owned art exhibit in the style of a Buddhist temple
- An example of Thai Modern and Lanna Architecture
- Completed in 1997
Elephant Nature Park
- Sanctuary and rescue centre for elephants coordinated by the Save the Elephant Foundation
- The parks provide sanctuary for rescued elephants and operates under a business model in which tourists pay to visit and help care for the animals, and can stay for extended periods
Wat Chedi Luang
- Buddhist temple originally made up of three temples
- Construction of the temple started in the 14th century, when King Saen Muang Ma planned to bury the ashes of his father there
- After 10 years of building time it was left unfinished, later to be continued after the death of the king by his widow
- Probably due to stability problems it took until the mid-15th century to be finished during the reign of king Tilokaraj
- In the early 1990s the chedi was reconstructed, financed by UNESCO and the Japanese government
- However the result is somewhat controversial, as some claim the new elements are in Central Thai style, not Lanna style
Sukhothai Historical Park
- Preserved remains of 3 main cities of the Sukhothai Kingdom, the first of the Thai kingdoms
- Built during the 13th-14th centuries
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
Erawan National Park
- A series of seven waterfalls flowing over limestone terraces, they are arguably among the most beautiful waterfalls in Thailand
- Founded in 1975
- The park is also home to a series of caves known as Mi, Rua, Wang Bahdan, and Phartat
Bang Tao Beach
- Expansive shoreline featuring white sands and blue waters, plus numerous restaurants and shops
Costs
Number of Days: 34Â days
Best Time To Fly: Nov-April
Airline tickets: $1,672
Seattle -> Bangkok (one way) $630
Bangkok -> Udon Thani (round trip) $44
Bangkok -> Chiang Rai (one way) $19
Chiang Rai -> Chiang Mai (one way) $54
Phitsanulok -> Bangkok (one way) $35
Bangkok -> Phuket (one way) $23
Phuket -> Seattle (one way) $867
Food: $6/day x 34 days = $204
Entertainment/tours: $213
Airbnb: $56/day x 32 days = $1,792
TOTAL: $3,881
