| WAT SUWANNAWAT (วัดสุวรรณาวาส) |
| Wat Suwannawat is located on the city island. It can be found in the corner Chikun Road and U-Thong Road, just before the Khlong Mueang Bridge. This renovated temple ruin can also be seen directly opposite Wat Racha Praditsathan. Wat Suwannawat was aligned to an east/west axis facing toward Khlong Pratu Khao Pluak (now buried underground). In situ is a small sermon hall with its front entrance wall still intact. Its basic foundation has been reconstructed by the Fine Arts Department, but the remaining three walls are missing. The altar of the sermon hall has a large, armless, Buddha image with most of his face still visible. Behind this ubosot is a large bell-shaped chedi with an octagonal base. There are at least 25 rings around the spire and it finial is still present. There are similar bell-shaped chedi at both sides of the sermon hall’s entrance. These also have an octagonal base, though one’s spire has collapsed to the ground below. These two chedi also have arched entrances on the eastern side. Several smaller bell-shaped chedi in various states of erosion are also in situ. Two of these sit in alignment on small platforms near U-Thong Road, and a third in line has eroded to the ground level. More bell-shaped chedi can be found toward the southwestern side of the sermon hall. In addition, there is a two-tiered bell tower with arched windows in each of the cardinal directions. The style of this architecture at Wat Suwannawat suggests the Middle and Late Ayutthaya Period. There is no record of this temple’s construction date or its role in history. It was built where some Royal elephant stables once stood. These elephant quarters appear on the maps of Vingboons 1665, Coronelli 1696, and de La Loubere 1691. This monastery may have been used by the mahouts that worked with elephants in the stables. Wat Suwannawat was restored by King Mongkut (r. 1851-1868) during the Ratanakosin period. Excavations at this site uncovered a Chinese-style image of Buddha preaching. It dates to the Ming Dynasty (16th-17th). The Chao Sam Phraya Museum presently has this marble image on display. |
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| Text by Ken May - September 2009 |
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| Addendum Wat Suwannawat is indicated on a map drafted in the mid-19th century and on Phraya Boran Rachathanin's map of 1926. The mid-19th century map denominates the temple as Wat Klang and shows the presence of three chedi. The name of Wat Klang could be related to its middle position between Wat Racha Praditsathan and Wat Khongkha Phihan. The premises of this monastery have obviously been cut through by the Maha Rat Rd, the extension of Chikun Rd. The restored ruin of Wat Suwannawat is located in geographical coordinates: 14° 21' 43.15"N, 100° 34' 4.53" E. |
| Addendum, maps & photographs by Tricky Vandenberg Updated April 2016 |
| (View from Maha Rat Rd) |
| (View from U-Thong Rd) |
| (View of the ordination hall) |
| (View from the NE corner) |
| (Marble Buddha image in attitude of preaching - Ming Dynasty 16-17th Century - Chao Sam Phraya Museum - excavated at Wat Suwannawat) |
| Chao Phraya Museum - map is orientated S-N) |
| (Detail of Phraya Boran Rachathanin's map - Anno 1926) |
| (Detail of a 2007 Fine Arts Department GIS map - Courtesy of the Fine Arts Department - 3th Region) |
