Wat Phra Non was situated on the southern edge of what is believed to have been a Khmer Baray, an ancient artificial reservoir dating back to the pre-Ayutthaya time. Barays were located in close vicinity of a Khmer sanctuary. This Khmer sanctuary is believed to have been on the site of the present Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon. The Khmer ruled over this area from the early 11th century until the mid-13th century from Lavo (Lopburi). The pre-Ayutthaya outpost here was known as Ayodhya Pura. (3)
The site is indicated on Fine Arts Department maps. Some temple remnants were excavated and partially restored by the Fine Arts Department (FAD) after the enormous flood of Oct-Nov 2011 CE.
The ruins of Wat Phra Non are in geographical coordinates: 14° 20' 26.28" N, 100° 35' 19.78" E.
Footnotes:
(1) There is another temple ruin with nearly a similar name called Wat Khok Phra Non or the Monastery of the Mound of the Reclining Buddha, which is also situated near Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon (Wat Chao Phraya Thai).
(2) There is another version, probably more accurate, stating that he was taken captive in Cochin China, and transported with the loot and guns taken by the Annamese. He was deported to Quang Binli and released and even replaced on the throne, on condition of paying tribute to the lord of Hue and handing over Bien Hoa or Dong Nai. Finally, he died shortly after his return. [Ref : Etienne Aymonier. Le Cambodge III - Le Groupe d'Angkor et l'Histoire. Paris (1904). p. 775.
(3) The reign dates of the mentioned Cambodian kings are approximate. 1658 CE is the date given by the Dutch of the Annamese occupation in which the Dutch Lodge in Cambodia was pillaged and burned.
(4) The area of Ayothya was probably already populated at the end of the Dvaravati era (6th to 11th centuries). There is some evidence that a community settled in this area much earlier than 1351 CE, the date of establishment of the city of Ayutthaya. Sources mention that during the reign of Suryavarman I (1002-1050 CE) of Angkor, the Khmers occupied the area and established a stronghold here as an appendage of Lopburi, naming it Ayothya after the ancient and one of the holiest Hindu cities of India, the old capital of Awadh, in the Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh. Phraya Boran Ratchathanin (1871-1936 CE), who was the Superintendent Commissioner of Monthon Ayutthaya from 1925 to 1929 CE but occupied important functions since 1896 CE in Monthon Ayutthaya, suggested in 1907 CE that "a pre-Ayudhyan city was situated immediately to the east of the location of Ayudhya," Prince Damrong Rajanubhap (1862-1943 CE), a prominent figure in Thai history known for his significant contributions in various fields including history, decided seven years later that a city called Ayothya "was founded by the Khmer who were ruling at Lopburi". The reason that they concluded that there must have been an earlier town before Ayutthaya was established in 1351 CE was probably the mentioning of its existence in records such as the Chronicles of Nakhon Sri Thammarat, the Chronicle of the Sihing Buddha Image, the Chronicle of the North, the Chronicle of Yonok, the Mulasasana and the Jinakalamali. Until today, hardly any archaeological research has been done to determine methodically that a pre-Ayutthaya city was situated immediately east of Ayutthaya. References: [1] Moura, J. (1883). Le Royaume du Cambodge. 2ieme Tome. Paris. p. 63. [2] Cushman, Richard D. & Wyatt, David K. (2006). The Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya. Bangkok: The Siam Society. p. 248.
