During the Ayutthaya Period, Queen Suriyothai was killed while trying to defend her husband King Maha Chakkraphat during a battle with invading Burmese forces.
Four centuries later, when the monument dedicated to her heroic deed was to be built west of Ayutthaya city, in the agricultural fields called Thung Makham Yong that used to be the battlegrounds of many wars between Ayutthaya and Burma, King Bhumibol Adulyadej did not want it to be merely a statue.
He initiated a project to use the land around the monument as a detention basin that keeps excess water from the nearby Chao Phraya River during the rainy season and irrigates to surrounding farmlands in drier months. For the past two decades, the project has enabled local farmers to grow two crops of rice per year. It also helped alleviate the effect of big floods in Ayutthaya and other provinces downstream, including Bangkok.
The project also serves as a public park. The road that runs around the monument and the reservoir within this park is usually free of cars, so this is a place where locals come to enjoy biking in the morning and in the evening without having to worry about being hit by motorised vehicles.
It was early in a scorching afternoon when my friend and I arrived at Thung Makham Yong. After paying respect to the statue of the royal heroine we began to explore the park on two wheels. In the pond at the back of the monument, we saw something sticking out of the water. I hopped off the bike and walked to the water's edge for a closer look and found that it resembled the top of the walls of an ancient army camp.
The replica gave me a clear idea how the natural yearly floods managed to force the Burmese army to put an end to their sieges of Ayutthaya so many times. There's no way they could survive in water that deep, let alone attack Ayutthaya, which is surrounded by rivers on all sides -- west and south by the Chao Phraya, and north and east by Lop Buri and Pasak rivers.
Every time the invaders showed up, which was usually in the dry season, the Thai strategy was to make sure the enemies could not cross the river to the island city until the rainy season arrived. With plenty of supplies in stock, the Ayutthaya people remained on the island and let the floods take care of the surrounding foreign troops. Still, as we all know, despite such help from Mother Nature, Ayutthaya fell to the Burmese twice.
Anyway, instead of discussing on how treason and other factors led to the defeats of Ayutthaya, let's go on with our ride.
The road in Thung Makham Yong park is well paved. Lined with shady trees on both sides it was not as hot as the monument, which stands in the open. On the north side, there's a patch of lush woodland grown to provide firewood for makers of Ayutthaya's legendary Aranyik knives.
On the west side of the park, there's a back gate that leads to riverside communities. If you feel riding in the park is not enough, you can venture out to nearby temples and villages. Following the road that runs parallel to the Chao Phraya, you can bike all the way to Wat Phu Khao Thong and visit its beautiful namesake stupa. Not far from the temple is a statue of King Naresuan the Great, a grandson of Queen Suriyothai.
Well, see you here again next Thursday. Until then, if you have questions, news or biking insights you wish to share, please feel free to send an email to pongpetm@bangkokpost.co.th or go to Freewheel Bangkok community page on Facebook.
Pongpet Mekloy is the Bangkok Post's travel editor and a mountain bike freak.
Thung Makham Yong, Ayutthaya
GPS co-ordinates: 14°23'00.94"N 100°31'41.67" E
Trail condition: Well-paved road with no traffic.
Distance: The park road alone is about 2.4km long.
Getting there: Thung Makham Yong is located on the Bang Pa Han-bound side of Highway 347, just 3.5km north of the Worachet Intersection which is on the western boundary of Ayutthaya city.
Parking: The park has a big car park.
Food & drinks: A number of snack and beverage vendors can be found near the car park. I ran into a small restaurant hidden next to the Thung Makham Yong Bridge (on the north bank). It's called Long Du Dai. The menu features several authentic Thai dishes made of fresh river fish. The prices are surprisingly cheap.
What your family can enjoy while waiting:It's a very safe place for children to bike. But in case they don't want to, they can take a stroll in the park or find a spot to relax.
Accommodation: Ayutthaya boasts many hotels and resorts. Some of them are located by the river.
