Wat Chaiwatthanaram

Wat Chaiwatthanaram is a 17th-century Buddhist temple in Ayutthaya, Thailand, constructed in 1630 under King Prasat Thong as a royal temple. It is one of the most-visited temple ruins in the Ayutthaya Historical Park.

The complex’s layout includes a large raised platform with a central prang and a series of smaller chedi or stupas arranged around it; the monumentality and symmetry of the layout are notable features. Visitors commonly walk the raised galleries and view the sculpted and carved brickwork that survives.

Built as a royal foundation in 1630, the temple later fell into ruin after the Burmese sack of Ayutthaya in the late 18th century. Conservation and restoration work in the 20th century stabilised the ruins and opened the site for public visitation.

The temple stands on the western bank of the Chao Phraya River within the Ayutthaya Historical Park, north of Bangkok, and is accessible by road and river boat services that run from the city of Ayutthaya.

• Location within Ayutthaya: The temple stands on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River in Ayutthaya and is part of the wider historic park visited on day trips from Bangkok.

What to See #

• Central prang: A central Khmer-style prang that rises from the middle of the temple platform and served as the focal point for ritual activity.
• Platform, galleries and surrounding chedi: A raised rectangular platform surrounded by a cloister and galleries with eight smaller chedi arranged around the base, forming a cruciform layout typical of 17th-century Ayutthaya temple architecture.