Big C Supercenter Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya

This is where you go when you need things, not experiences. It's a full hypermarket and mall in one building out at Bang Pa-in, and it handles the boring but necessary parts of a trip, like sunscreen, snacks for the road, a SIM top-up, a bank branch that's actually open.

The layout is simple. Ground floor is food court, restaurants, coffee shops and several banks. Upstairs is the Big C supermarket itself plus a Major cinema, so you can knock out the shopping and catch a film if the afternoon heat has beaten you. The meat and fresh food section is unusually deep by Thai supermarket standards, and reviewers keep mentioning it. KFC is in there too, if that's what the kids want. Aisles are wide, it's cold, and staff know where things are.

For travelers, the real draw is stocking up on Thai food products to take home. Instant tom yum, curry pastes, dried fruit, all cheaper than any tourist shop in central Ayutthaya.