Wat Phra Ram วัดพระราม
Wat Phra Ram is a restored ruin located in the Historical Park of Ayutthaya in Pratu
Chai Sub-district and situated close to the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Sri Sanphet in a
swampy area called Bueng Phra Ram. The monastery was constructed on the cremation
site of the first Ayutthayan monarch, King Ramathibodi I.
The exact time of its construction is not known as the various Chronicles of Ayutthaya
give different timings of its construction. The oldest version, the Luang Prasoet, written
during the Late Ayutthayan era, states its establishment in 1369 . Later versions
written in the post-Ayutthayan era put its construction in the year 1434, after the death of Borommaracha II somehow 65 year later.
The Luang Prasoet version tells us that Wat Phra Ram was the first constructed temple
at the time King Ramathibodi I passed away. The later versions could also be interpreted
as that the monastery was expanded with a Khmer-styled prang and a vihara. Nobody
knows...
Wat Khae วัดแค
The temple was located on the west bank of the old Lopburi River, presently called
Khlong Hua Ro.
There are no indications in the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya when exactly the temple was built. Archaeological research situates the construction of the temple in the Early Ayutthaya period (1350 - 1485).
The temple was abandoned during the war of 1766-1767 and sacked by the Burmese.
Wat Khae or the Monastery of the Trumpet Tree is located off the city island in the northern area at Khlong Sra Bua in a field named Thung Kaeo. The village is called Ban Rang Khae. Wat Lamut and Wat Phisua stood in its immediate vicinity. The closest active temple, Wat Khrutharam is situated to the northwest.
The monastery consists of four principal pagodas, an ordination hall (ubosot), two
vihara, some small pagodas and other buildings surrounded by a wall. All buildings have been restored several times.
The revered monk Luang Pu Thuad resided at Wat Khae for a while. He was the favorite priest...
Wat Phraya Maen วัดพระยาแมน is located north of the city island along the Khlong Sra Bua canal.
The exact date that Wat Phraya Maen was established is unknown.
Royal Chronicles refer to a respected figure known as Phraya Maen, who was commanded by King Chakkraphat to take one thousand freemen and escort Princess Thepkasattri to Lan Sang, present day Laos, where she was set to marry.
In order to strengthen his kingdom, the Laotian
King Setthathirat moved his capital to Vientiane and fortified the city. He then proposed a marriage alliance with Ayutthaya and requested that Princess Thepkasattri, the daughter of Queen Suryothai, become his wife.
King Chakkraphat tried to trick his allies by sending a less desirable daughter instead, the younger Princess Kaeo Fa. When King Setthathirat discovered the ruse, it threatened relations among the two kingdoms, so it was arranged to send the original princess as promised. The Burmese learned of this plan and sent armies to intercept her. ...
The Artist House, also known as Baan Silapin, and the surrounding Khlong Bang Luang area represent a preserved slice of old Bangkok’s canal-side heritage in Thonburi on the western bank of the Chao Phraya River.
Khlong Bang Luang, historically part of an ancient waterway network that once formed a bend in the Chao Phraya River during the Ayutthaya period, served as a vital route for trade, transportation, and daily life, connecting communities with wooden stilt houses, temples, and markets.
During the Thonburi era and into the Rattanakosin period, the canal thrived with goldsmiths, merchants, and residents whose livelihoods revolved around the water. Over time, as Bangkok modernized with roads and urban development, many canals declined, residents moved away for city jobs, and traditional wooden homes fell into disrepair, leaving the area quiet and somewhat forgotten.
The Artist House itself is a roughly 200-year-old two-story teak wooden structure, originally a family home and grocery-gold shop ...
