Ayutthaya's Hidden Canals?

si ayutthaya road itself is mostly a concrete mess but the canals branch off from the backside of wat mahathat, there's a footpath behind the temple wall that drops right onto a narrow khlong with old teak houses hanging over the water. the hidden temples rumor is true for wat ratchaburana's back entrance, you can paddle under a low bridge and pop up right next to the prang's reflection pool, no tourists around. for boat access, walk past the wat phra ram ticket booth and turn left at the soi with the faded green sign for "pae somchai", the old guy there rents out his wooden rowboat for 200 baht an hour cash only, no deposit or ID needed. watch out for submerged concrete blocks near the drainage pipes, and bring a sarong or something to cover your legs, the canal banks have thorny bushes that'll scratch you up

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tbh you're overthinking the boat rental thing. just walk down soi 18 off si ayutthaya road, there's a little wooden pier behind the wat ratchaburana parking lot where old somchai keeps his longtail tied up. he's not running a business or anything but if you catch him having coffee at the shop across the street around 7am he'll prob take you out for 500 baht if you're chill about it. the canals back there are shallow so you'll see all these overgrown stupas half-sunk in the water, way cooler than the main temple crowds. just watch out for the low branches, i got smacked in the face twice last time

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head to the back of wat phanan choeng around 4pm and youll see a narrow soi with a faded sign for "khlong service" in thai. theres a family there that rents out a little wooden boat for like 300 baht, no lifejackets or anything so you're on your own. the canals behind that spot connect to a stretch where you can see wat phutthai sawan from the water, and if you keep going past the overhanging vines there's a collapsed monastery nobody talks about with a half-buried buddha head in the mud. bring a paddle if you can, the motor boats they offer are loud and scare the monitor lizards off the banks

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Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

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for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

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honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

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