Sunrise Place

Sunrise Place is the ground floor of an apparently unused shopping centre. It does not have the position that attracts passers-by, and if you walk or ride past the little shopping mall in front of it, you could easily miss it. Even many "tuk-tuk" drivers don't know it, at least by its English name. How do you find it? Ask the driver to bring you where the air-conditioned buses and vans leave for Bangkok. Start walking back toward the city hall, passing the 7-11. The turning is on your left : if you are lucky, you will notice the yellow sign in English at ground level. Turn left, pass the steak restaurant on your left ("Steaks, Thai Food") in English and go straight into what looks like a parking garage. Keep going even when you think you are nowhere, and see a lot of old furniture, sewing machine, etc. At the left, you will see a reception desk. Straight on is the restaurant, with a little bar. Once you can find Noi, who runs it, or Alec, her husband, you will be surprised. Their English is not perfect, but Alec is taking lessons and Noi can communicate: be patient and watch for slight misunderstandings. However, their hearts are in the right place and they will do anything to help you. The rooms are on the ground floor, through a little corridor to the left. Inside you will find spotless air-conditioned rooms with colour cable TV, hot shower and own bathroom (sink and toilet), for B500 (about US$12.50): excellent value! Management also provide laundry service for B40 (US$1) per kilo: amazingly fast, and usually within the day. The restaurant has typical cheap Chinese-Thai guest house fry-up (xxx fried rice or noodles) but watch for unique little surprises like "Spaghetti Noi" (my name, they call it "Spaghetti Thai Style") which is spaghetti with a nice Thai sauce (a little spicy but not too much) for about US$1, "American Fried Rice" which is fried rice with hot dogs, bologna, egg and a little chicken steak for about US$1.25, and "Sukiyaki" which is a kind of vegetable and rice noodle soup, with a hint of black pepper, for about US$1.25 plus rice. For vegetarians, there is sweet-and-sour vegetables with rice or "Kana Fried Rice" which is fried greens with rice, each at about B60 (US$1.50). The Thai-Steak restaurant at the Naresuan Road entrance is also excellent, with western-style T-Bone Steak, Chicken Steak, Pork Steak, Bass Steak and Snapper Steak, and Pork or Chicken Barbecue. Each of these entrees, is priced less than B180 (US$4.40) (open-air restaurant, no decorations), and including salad and bread (mixed veg and french fries with the T-Bone), plus fizzy drink for B10 (US$0.25). The area is very convenient: of course there are the buses or vans to Bangkok and a "tuk-tuk" terminal; but an it is an easy 5-minute walk into Ayutthaya City centre (Ayutthaya Hotel buffet lunch all you can eat for US$4 plus drink, local open market, Amporn Department Store and the local western fast food places KFC, McD, Swensons, and Pizza Company); with 7-11 and a Thai convenience store across from one another around the corner from Sunrise Place. You can also walk about 10 minutes (or hire a bicycle around the corner) to Phra Ram Park, a beautiful green respite for anyone coming out from Bangkok.