Wat Klang Khlong Watthana Ram

Purple is the first thing you'll notice, then the tree-shaped altar the whole interior is built around. This is an active temple in Sena District being reshaped by its abbot, Phra Ekkalak, and the work is nowhere near done. Scaffolding, dust, unfinished corners. I'd go anyway. Murals, a resin floor and a lot of glitter make it feel like nothing else in the province, and there's something quite good about seeing a temple mid-transformation rather than finished and roped off.

Because it's off the usual Ayutthaya circuit, it stays quiet. Reviewers talk about birds flying around the central tree and being able to just stand there without a tour group behind them. There's a carp pond round the back, a coffee vendor, and plenty of parking. You can make merit toward the construction if you want to, which is where the money for all this comes from.

Skip it if you only have a day in Ayutthaya and haven't seen the ruins yet. It's a detour, and it's not a substitute for the historical park.