Today we travelled north of Bangkok to inspect the old Summer Palace of the Thai royal family at Bang Pa-in, after which we moved on to Ayuthaya, the capital of Thailand before it was destroyed by the Burmese in 1768. Several ruined and contemporary Thai temples were inspected and the local markets patronised (at which some Year 8 boys added very substantially but legally to their collection of Thai police badges). The return journey to Bangkok was by boat along the Chao Phraya River, and was outstanding, not only for the excellent meal served to our hungry group on board, but for the views of Thai river life it presented; small riverside homes, rice barges, timber and rice mills, and fishing.
