History of Ayutthaya - Temples & Ruins

WAT KHWANG (วัดขวาง)

Wat Khwang was located on the city island in the northeastern area at Ho Ratanachai
sub-district. It was situated north of Wat Prasat and Khlong Ho Ra t anachai. The
monastery is often referred to as Wat Fang in old documents.

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 Ratanachai Gate and running back along the Ho Ratanachai canal towards the
Unmilled Rice Gate. The palace area should have included at least eight monasteries,
which one of them was Wat Khwang. The issue of a such large palace ground as
mentioned here, was although heavily discussed by scholars and rejected. [1]

A fortress being part of the defense wall erected around 1580, stood east of the temple
along the Front City Canal and was called Pom Wat Fang (Pom Wat Khwang).

Nothing remains of the former monastery, which location should have been where the
present "Chomsurang Upatham School" is situated.

Its historical background and period of construction are unknown. The main Buddha
statue of this temple was moved to Wat Prasat.

The temple is mentioned in some of the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya in the period just
before the first fall of the city in 1569, when the King of Hongsawadi ordered the
construction of a causeway from probably the vicinity of Wat Saphan Kluea towards
Wat Fang.

"When the inventory of all the troop supplies ordered by the King completed, the
King of Hongsawadi had preparations made for attacking the Capital and order
causeways laid extending in towards the front ramparts of the city from three
points; from the positions of the Uparat the first was to be laid extending in to
Fang Monastery and a second to Ian Village, and from the positions of the King
of Ava a third was to be laid extending in to the corner of Kaeo Island." [2]

Close to Wat Fang monastery and to the mouth of Khlong Ho Ratanachai, was one of
the former five eastern ferries across the Front city canal - linking the city with Wat Nang
Chi on the opposite side. (2) [3]

In the Late Ayutthaya period (1629 - 1767 AD) there were shops and workshops
making and selling heads and skeletons of spinning wheels, and chests for cotton around
Wat Fang and there was also a fresh market called the Wat Fang Market. [4]

The site is indicated on a mid-19th century map denominated Wat Fang (วัดฟัง) and on
Phraya Boran Rachathanin's map drafted in 1926 map, here named Wat Khwang
(วัดขวาง).

Wat Kwang was situated in Geo Coord: 14° 21' 48.40" N, 100° 34' 38.20" E.

Footnotes:

(1) Sen is a traditional Thai unit of length equal to 40 m.
(2) In Ayutthayan times there were twenty-two ferry routes. In the eastern area, the four
other crossings were: Tha Chang Wang Na to Tha Wilanda, north of Wat Khwang
Fortress to Wat Taphan Kluea, South of Wat Pa Thon to Wat Phichai and north of
Rachakrue Fortress to Wat Ko Kaeo. [3] See "The Boat & Ferry Landings of
Ayutthaya".

References:

[1] The study of Chantharakasem Palace for developing the Management Plan -
Nantana Hengpujaroen (2003).
[2] The Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya - Richard D. Cushman (2006) - page 62 /
Source: Thonburi fragment (1779) Khurusapha (1963).
[3] Athibai Phaenthi Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya kap khamwinitjai khong Phraya Boran
Racha Thanin - Explanation of the map of the Capital of Ayutthaya with a ruling of
Phraya Boran Rachathanin - Revised 2nd edition and Geography of the Ayutthaya
Kingdom - Ton Chabab print office - Nonthaburi (2007) - page 91.
[4] Markets and Production in the City of Ayutthaya before 1767: Translation and
Analysis of Part of the Description of Ayutthaya - Chris Baker - Journal of the Siam
Society, Vol. 99, 2011 - page 64.