Phra Si Sanphet Temple

Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Ayutthaya's most important and outstanding temple, is located within the compound of the Grand (Ancient) Palace. It is comparable in importance to Bangkok's Wat Phra Kaeo, located in the present capital's Grand Palace.

King Borom Trai Lokanat (1448-1488) founded the temple in the 15th century. Initially used as a residential palace, it became a monastery during the reign of King Ramathibodi I. In 1500, King Ramathibodi II cast a 16-meter tall standing Buddha, covering the image with 170 kg of gold. When the Burmese sacked Ayutthaya in 1767, the image was melted down and the gold plundered.

The ruins of the three hollow pagodas, built in the typical Ayutthaya style, are all that remain of the once magnificent temple. Each of the three pagodas enshrines the ashes of a King (Borom Trai Lokanat, Borommaracha III and Ramathibodi II), together with royal regalia and precious Buddha images. Other elements of the temple, including the Prasat Phra Narai and the Viharn Phra Si Sanphet were completely razed and only the foundations can be seen today. Some of the original treasures found at the site are housed in various museums, including Ayutthaya's Chao Sam Phraya Museum.

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