| WAT THONG 1 (วัดทอง) |
Wat Thong or the "Golden Monastery" was located off the city island in the southern
area of Ayutthaya in Samphao Lom sub-district. (1) It was situated near the mouth of
Khlong Khu Cham on its east bank at the confluence with the present Chao Phraya
River. Adjacent lies the present active Masjid Islam Watana.
In its vicinity but a bit east were situated Wat Khok Sung and Wat Vihan Khian.
There are no visual traces from the monastery anymore at ground level and houses were
built in situ.
Its historical background and period of construction are unknown.
The Pak Khlong Khu Cham floating market (2) was held in the vicinity of Wat Thong, at
the rear of the Surau Khaek (3), located on the west bank of Khlong Khu Cham. Near
Wat Thong along Lai Song Street was held another market, being one of the
thirty known land markets outside the city. [2]
The site is indicated on a mid-19th century map and on Phraya Boran Rachathanin's map
drafted in 1926. Some remains of the temple were excavated by the Fine Arts
Department (FAD) in Geo Coord: +14° 20' 32.40" N, +100° 33' 52.30" E.
Footnotes:
(1) Literally the sub-district of the capsized junk. The area was known before as Ban
Samphao Lom.
(2) The Pak Khlong Khu Cham floating market was one of the four large floating markets
on the river around Ayutthaya ("Pak" stands for mouth of the canal). [1]
(3) A "surau" is a Malay word for a small Muslim prayer hall or house, used for the daily
prayers. It does not have the same status as the "masjid" (Arabic - place of prostration)
or mosque, to be used for the special Friday prayers. A surau can be upgraded to a
mosque, but a mosque can never be downgraded to a surau, even if the Muslim
community builds a new mosque. It can be more or less compared with what is a chapel
and a church for the Christians. The Surau Khaek is mentioned on the mid-19th century
map.
References:
[1] พรรณนาภูมิสถาน พระนครศรีอยุธยา เอกสารจากหอหลวง
(ฉบับความสมบูรณ์) - Geographical description of Ayutthaya: Documents from the
palace - Dr Vinai Pongsripian - Bangkok (2007) - page 84.
[2] Ibid - page 85.
area of Ayutthaya in Samphao Lom sub-district. (1) It was situated near the mouth of
Khlong Khu Cham on its east bank at the confluence with the present Chao Phraya
River. Adjacent lies the present active Masjid Islam Watana.
In its vicinity but a bit east were situated Wat Khok Sung and Wat Vihan Khian.
There are no visual traces from the monastery anymore at ground level and houses were
built in situ.
Its historical background and period of construction are unknown.
The Pak Khlong Khu Cham floating market (2) was held in the vicinity of Wat Thong, at
the rear of the Surau Khaek (3), located on the west bank of Khlong Khu Cham. Near
Wat Thong along Lai Song Street was held another market, being one of the
thirty known land markets outside the city. [2]
The site is indicated on a mid-19th century map and on Phraya Boran Rachathanin's map
drafted in 1926. Some remains of the temple were excavated by the Fine Arts
Department (FAD) in Geo Coord: +14° 20' 32.40" N, +100° 33' 52.30" E.
Footnotes:
(1) Literally the sub-district of the capsized junk. The area was known before as Ban
Samphao Lom.
(2) The Pak Khlong Khu Cham floating market was one of the four large floating markets
on the river around Ayutthaya ("Pak" stands for mouth of the canal). [1]
(3) A "surau" is a Malay word for a small Muslim prayer hall or house, used for the daily
prayers. It does not have the same status as the "masjid" (Arabic - place of prostration)
or mosque, to be used for the special Friday prayers. A surau can be upgraded to a
mosque, but a mosque can never be downgraded to a surau, even if the Muslim
community builds a new mosque. It can be more or less compared with what is a chapel
and a church for the Christians. The Surau Khaek is mentioned on the mid-19th century
map.
References:
[1] พรรณนาภูมิสถาน พระนครศรีอยุธยา เอกสารจากหอหลวง
(ฉบับความสมบูรณ์) - Geographical description of Ayutthaya: Documents from the
palace - Dr Vinai Pongsripian - Bangkok (2007) - page 84.
[2] Ibid - page 85.
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| Text & maps by Tricky Vandenberg - January 2009 Reviewed June 2011 |
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| (Extract of a begin-20th century map) |
| (Extract of a mid-19th century map) |