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 ...
The Luang Pho Luang Buddha image stands as a majestic landmark in the Bang Pahan district of Ayutthaya, set within peaceful grounds that blend spiritual reverence with the everyday rhythms of rural Thai life.
This enormous statue, often referred to locally as the principal or “great” image associated with the nearby Wat Nak area, rises prominently amid a working mango plantation where neatly trimmed hedges frame pathways and ample parking accommodates visitors drawn to its serene presence. Unlike traditional temple complexes crowded with multiple structures, this site emphasizes open space and natural surroundings, creating an intimate yet awe-inspiring atmosphere for merit-making and quiet reflection. The grounds, with their lush mango trees and thoughtful landscaping, evoke a sense of harmony between devotion and agriculture, typical of many lesser-known sacred spots in the historic province.
Luang Pho Luang, formally known in connection with names like Phra Phutthaphawanachai Mongkol, is ...
Wat Khuha Sawan Worawihan, also known as Wat Khuha Sawan, stands as a serene and historically rich Buddhist temple on the Thonburi side of Bangkok in Phasi Charoen District.
This third-class royal temple of the worawihan type belongs to the Mahā Nikāya sect and is nestled along Khlong Bang Luang, offering a peaceful retreat amid the city’s bustle. Its origins trace back to the late Ayutthaya period, when it was originally known as Wat Sala Si Na, or the Four-Fronted Pavilion Temple, named for its distinctive chatumuk pavilion that served the local community. Though the temple’s exact founder remains unknown, it has endured through centuries as a sacred site.
The temple received its formal wisungkhamsima sacred boundary in 1777 during the Thonburi era. In the early Rattanakosin period, King Rama I graciously ordered a comprehensive restoration of the entire complex, including the ubosot ordination hall, preaching hall, and pavilion. He elevated its status to a royal temple and renamed it ...
