Ayuthaya

To fill in the days before flying home I decided to visit some of the more interesting sights within easy driving distance of Bangkok.  Ayuthaya used to be the capital of Thailand when the country was part of the Khmer empire, until it was sacked by invaders form Burma.  This explains the similarity between the temples here and those in Angkor Wat in Cambodia.  In fact if its temples you're after, then there are actually more to be found in Ayuthaya than in the immediate vicinity of Siem Reap.

Bangkok is like a ghost city now.  Tourists stranded here after the airport closure are gradually being flown home (I seem to be at the back of the queue), and with no new arrivals over the past two weeks and many people put off by the ongoing political instability, the tourist industry is looking pretty sick.  The end result is that a walk up Sukhumvit which used to take 15 minutes because of  the tourist throngs can now be done in less than 5. Bad news for street traders and bars.