Bangkok : Day Trips

Several historical and natural sites within two to three hours of Bangkok make for rewarding full-day excursions. Each offers a change of pace from the city and a look at a different side of Thailand.

• Ayutthaya Historical Park — The ruins of Thailand's former capital, a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring temple complexes, Buddha statues and palace remnants dating from the 14th to 18th centuries. • Bridge on the River Kwai (Kanchanaburi) — A Second World War–era railway bridge with an adjacent museum documenting the history of the Thailand–Burma railway. • Erawan National Park — A seven-tiered waterfall system set in forested hills, with natural pools suitable for swimming at several levels.