History of Ayutthaya - Temples & Ruins

WAT PRASAT 2 (วัดประสาท)

Wat Prasat or the Monastery of the Castle was located on the city island in the
northeastern area of Ayutthaya in Ho Ratanachai sub-district. It was situated south of
Wat Khwang and on the north bank of Khlong Pratu Ho Ra t ana c hai near the Ho
Ratanachai Gate.

The temple area has a classical outfit, quite large and well kept. Each of the monastic
buildings has its proper inner wall and is beautiful decorated. The ordination hall has a
three-tired roof, while the main viharn has a two-tiered one. The latter contains a Buddha
image of Wat Khwang, a former monastery north of this temple.

Its historical background and period of construction are unknown.

Hengpujaroen wrote that according to some old documents, the walls around the Chan
Kasem Palace or Front Palace had a length of 50 Sen (1) or approximately 2000 m.
The palace occupied thus an area roughly going from the Unmilled Rice Fort (Pom Khao
Phluak) and Wat Tha Sai towards the Maha Chai Fort; going down to the Ho Ratana
Chai Gate and running back along the Ho Ratana Chai canal towards the Unmilled Rice
Gate. The palace area should have included at least eight monasteries, which one of them
was Wat Prasat. The issue of a such large palace ground as mentioned here, was
although heavily discussed by scholars and rejected. [1]

An old document mentions that in the Ayutthayan era there were boathouses for royal
barges and for various procession boats at Wat Tong Pu and Wat Prasat. [2]

The monastery is indicated on a map drafted in the mid-19th century and on Phraya
Boran Rachathanin's map of 1926.

At present the temple is still active and can be accessed through U-Thong Rd.

Wat Prasat is located in Geo. Coord.: 14° 21' 47.03" N, 100° 34' 43.07" E.

Footnotes:

(1) Sen is a traditional Thai unit of length equal to 40 m.

References:

[1] The study of Chantharakasem Palace for developing the Management Plan -
Nantana Hengpujaroen (2003).
[2] Phanna phumisathan Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya: Ekasan jak Ho Luang -
Geographical description of Ayutthaya: Documents from the palace - Dr Winai
Pongsripian - Bangkok (2007) - page 61 / Translated by Chris Baker - Final Part of the
Description of Ayutthaya - Journal of the Siam Society, Vol 102 (2014) - page 205.