Ancient City, Samut Prakan

The headlong pace and flawed modernity of BANGKOK (called "Krung Thep" in Thai) match few people's visions of the capital of exotic Siam. Spiked with scores of highrise buildings of concrete and glass, it's a vast flatness which ...

The place is touted as the thing to see but it is very boring. It is very large and has replicas of former places that no longer are around but so what.

I arrived rather late in the afternoon after visiting the Three Headed Elephant Shrine which was donated to the people for preserving history and to let them see things that are really beautiful. A fast, bumpy ride in an open van taxi (7 baht) brought me here and I enjoyed my golf cart ride among the interesting architectural examples combined with the tame deer wandering on the grounds. Although I am not Thai, a very sweet attendant gave me a discount and off I went for my first ride in a golf cart. Very easy to drive. The same benefactor who built the elephant shrine, gave this lovely, quiet park away from the hectic pace of downtown Bangkok, to those who wanted to know more and be away from the tourist crowds. I travel on a velvet shoestring and rode on an air-conditioned bus from Sukhumvit 38 (my favorite international hostel)to the shrine for 58 baht. Sorry for the person who spent so much in a taxi. I have been on organized 18 day tours for the past three years, but found these places on my own and was delighted. Fun for all ages. Don't be afraid to explore. The natives are so friendly and helpful. All you need is a return smile and some pantomime skills if you want to communicate.

I spent a full day there shortly after its opening years back. It was like taking a tour of Thailand without the climbing on and off tour buses. you may drive to designated areas and walk from there or as I did, park at the entrance and follow the map of Thailand to see the variety of architecture of the country. You'll see the influence of the countries neighbors and of its regions on the historic sites reconstructed to a slightly smaller scale. If you have a day while in bangkok, spend it at the Ancient City.

While I am not normally the type to get excited about buildings, this is MUST SEE for any visit to Bangkok. We spend the complete day there (dont plan for any less). I was fortunate enough to have a dedicated Thai guide to assist in describing some of the structures. Initially I coughed at the price, but at the end was happy with what I had been able to see serious aspects of Thai buildings in a very short period of time. This saved a lot of time in my other travels throughout Thailand.

I can honestly this is nor ordinary museum. This is just off the scale amazing! It propels you back in Thailand's history and the temples, buildings, streets, lakes, parkland the whole lot will live with you forever. I'm not kidding! The beauty of the temples in here rival the Taj Mahal (Seriously i'm not joking), just ride one of the provided bikes around here and round a corner and the sites just hit you, they are beautiful. Also, the shops selling food/drinks tourist stuff are all under strict command not to rip off any tourists, so you actually get to eat and drink cheaply here. Certainly cheaper than you can in central bkk. If you are only coming to Thailand for a quick holiday, you must visit this. Oh, and you must visit Trang Island too - the best of ALL the Thai Islands of the Andaman sea!

If you do not much have time to travel far from Bangkok, this is a good option. It is a re-construction of typical Thai architecture - including temples, houses, a tea house, shops, etc. And it is located in a beautifull park delightfully landscaped! A great day with the family away from the congestion of Bangkok!

I liked it very much. there was almost too much to take in. a little strange knowing that the thing is a copy but cool to see the architecture beside each other to compare... was an expensive trip in the end 400 baht there in cab. 300 to get in. 700 for golf cart for 3 hours. (i had to! it was part of the fun!) cab home 250. Oh well. Still a good time.

It was a pleasant visit for us on the 320 acres of land. If you do not have time to travel around the different historical parks in Thailand to witness the splendors of its past, this is the place to go. The arts and culture of Thailand are being beautifully crafted and displayed on the land. As foreigners, we paid 300Baht each for the entrance fee. We were told by one of the officers that if you are foreigner with a valid Thai working visa, you will only be required to pay 100 Baht. So, make certain that you bring your working visa along.

The Ancient City is one the places for you to visit. If you are short of time and want to see all the landmarks all over Thailand, then go to this Muang Boran (Ancient City) in Samut Prakarn, just about two hour drive from the city of Bangkkok.