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The Ancient City
The Ancient City, or in Thai Muang Boran,
is known to be the world’s largest outdoor museum. It is
located just outside of Bangkok in Samut Prakan
province, close to the famous Crocodile Farm. This
spacious city features 109 scaled-down replicas of
Thailand’s most famous monuments and architectural
attractions on a land covering some 320 acres. The
expanse of the Ancient City is shaped to
replicate the grounds of the Kingdom, with each of the
monuments placed according to their geographic location
in real-life. Some of the attractions are life-sized
replicas of existing or former sites, while others are
scaled-down to a third of their actual size.
To ensure accuracy of all replicas, they were
constructed with the assistance of experts from the
National Museum to provide visitors an excellent
reflection of Thailand’s ancient culture and how it used
to look like. Also, the Ancient City is a great
alternative to all visitors who may not get a chance to
see all of the Kingdom’s architectural wonders, and to
revive sites that were destroyed in the past. Some of
the most outstanding and impressive works are the
recreations of the former Grand Palace of Ayutthaya
which was destroyed by the Burmese in 1767; the
Phimai Sanctuary which is located in Nakhon
Ratchasima; and the Wat Khao Phra Viharn
located on the Cambodian border.
Other Attractions
There are also many examples of typical Thai houses from
the past with distinct styles according to different
regions of the country, such as the typical central Thai
house which consists of several individual single-room
buildings around an elevated platform; sculptures from
the Thai epic story, the Ramakien; a display of
the Royal Barge procession; and a model Thai village in
which craftsmen produce ceramics, paper umbrellas and
lacquer items for sale.
Getting Around
Being so spacious, it can take a whole day to visit the
entire theme park. However, it is a great alternative to
get away from the city for a while, and enjoy the
relaxed and calm atmosphere of the Ancient City,
with its beautifully decorated gardens and a collection
of breathtaking historical monuments and architectural
attractions. While walking through the entire park would
be too laborious, the park now lends bicycles which are
included as part of the admission fee. Also, a mini-rail
service with a guide in Thai is available that stops at
different parts of the park, working itself through the
South to the North.
For hungry visitors, there are numerous small food shops
spread throughout the park which offer basic Thai food
to a fair price. Those who like to lunch with a bit more
class and with a touch of traditional Thai experience,
the park offers lunch in restaurant on a recreation of a
Thai floating market (picture above).
Getting There
The Ancient City is located on the old Sukhumvit
Highway, about 30 km east of Bangkok in Samut Prakan
province. The easiest way to get there is by a 30 min
taxi drive, although it can get quite expensive. However,
it is recommended to get a tour that takes you from
Bangkok to The Ancient City, and back. Contact any
travel agency or tour guides in Bangkok for more
information.
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