Prasat Nakhon Luang is located in the Nakhon Luang district, about thirty kilometers from Ayutthaya. The contrast between an old, dilapidated building and a more modern structure built over it more than two centuries later is remarkable. The architecture of the original monument, built under King Songtham, was modeled after Prasat Sila in Cambodia. In Khmer, the word "prasat" refers to both palace and temple, and here we find a place that served both functions. Prasat Nakhon Luang once served as a country residence for the kings during their travels to venerate the Buddha footprint at Saraburi or to make pilgrimages to Lopburi. The royal residence and shrine were presumably looted by the Burmese in 1767 and subsequently fell into ruin. Under King Chulalongkorn, a new building was constructed on the foundations of the old sanctuary. This building houses four large Buddha footprints carved in stone. The ruins of the previous structure have been preserved, and in one of the passageways is a seated Buddha statue in a moon-shaped niche. Photographed with a wide-angle lens through the cross-shaped opening to the sky, this image is one of the two most famous photographs of this place. The Prachan Loy Sarn (Pavilion of the Floating Moon) in front of Prasat Nakhon Luang houses a large, round stone, found in the nearby Pa Sak River, which resembles a full moon. It was brought here by the villagers. While not a must-see in Ayutthaya, the site is an interesting attraction for those who want to see something different from the usual temples of Ayutthaya.

Free admission. Open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

I don't think there's public transport to Prasat Nakhon Luang. So you'll probably have to hire a tuk-tuk or arrange for someone to drive you. However, check if the local buses to Tha Ruea that leave from the Chao Phrom Market in Ayutthaya stop there. I don't think they do, though.

Prasat Nakhon Luang is a temple, and when visiting a temple in Thailand there are some rules to follow: appropriate clothing (knees and shoulders should be covered), remove shoes when entering the building, be quiet, do not hug or kiss, do not point your feet at the Buddha statue, do not smoke.

How to get there

How do I get to Prasat Nakhon Luang? I don't think there's any public transport there. You'll probably have to hire a tuk-tuk or arrange for someone to drive you. Check if the local buses to Tha Ruea that leave from the Chao Phrom Market in Ayutthaya stop there, but I don't think they do.