Thailand Guide
The central plains
Wat Ratburana
Opening time: Daily 8am–6pm
Price: B30
Address: Thanon Naresuan
The towering Wat Ratburana was built in 1424 by King Boromraja II to commemorate his elder brothers, Ay and Yi, who managed to kill each other in an elephant-back duel over the succession to the throne, thus leaving it vacant for Boromraja. Here, four elegant Sri Lankan stupas lean outwards as if in deference to the main tower, on which some of the original stucco work can still be seen, including fine statues of garudas swooping down on nagas. It's possible to descend steep steps inside the tower to the crypt, where on two levels you can make out fragmentary murals of the early Ayutthaya period. Several hundred Buddha images were buried down here, most of which were snatched by grave robbers, although some can be seen in the Chao Sam Phraya Museum. They're in the earliest style that can be said to be distinctly Ayutthayan – an unsmiling Khmer expression, but on an oval face and elongated body that show the strong influence of Sukhothai.