AYUTTHAYA HISTORICAL RESEARCH



THE FRONT PALACE





Chan Palace, or Wang Chan, was situated on the west bank of the Front Moat (1). The ancient palace sat on the city island in the northeast, near the present Hua Ro Market in Hua Ro Sub-district. The site now houses the Chanthara Kasem National Museum and is accessible via U-Thong Road. Opposite the palace on Ko Loi - the floating island - we find Wat Monthop. The palace is generally known as "Wang Na" or "Front Palace" because it was located east of the Grand Palace.


At the beginning of the 16th century, the north-eastern corner of the present Ayutthaya City Island was dry land outside the city's fortifications. Until the first fall of Ayutthaya in 1569 CE, the city wall ran along Khlong Makham Riang, formerly called Khlong Nai Kai. In the south, it reached the Chao Phraya River, while in the north it ran into Khlong Ho Rattanachai - a canal running from Wat Tha Sai - where it joined the Khlong Pratu Pluak, towards the Front Moat.


Wat Song was located in the northeastern corner. Before the city walls were extended and a shunt was dug to divert the Lopburi River into the Front Moat, the area south of the monastery fed and corralled elephants.





(Ayutthaya eastern city limits in 1569 CE)



After the first fall of Ayutthaya in 1569 CE, King Maha Thammaracha (reign 1569-1590 CE) realised the city's poor defences and how Burmese attackers used the dry land between the Nai Kai canal and the Front Moat. Maha Thammaracha began upgrading the city's defences. He assessed that the eastern part of the city needed stronger defences, especially on the northern side of the Front Moat. Hence, around 1577 CE, he ordered the construction of a new fortified palace at the strategic site to replace the old “Front Place”. The palace was named “Wang Mai” (New Palace).


The defence walls around the city were extended to the Front Moat, and in 1580 CE the Front Moat itself was dug to a width of 20 m and a depth of 6 m from its junction with the Lopburi River to Bang Kaja Village. A new wall was built in the north-east, including the Chan Palace, and was fortified with the Maha Chai, Khwang, and Phet Fortresses.


We now need to go back a little in time. Prince Naresuan, the eldest son of King Thammaracha, was born in 1555 CE at the Chan Palace near the Nan River in Phitsanulok. After the Burmese invasion of 1564 CE, King Bhureng Noung took Prince Naresuan hostage in Burma to secure his father's loyalty. In 1571 CE, Prince Naresuan was allowed to return to Siam in exchange for one of his sisters, who became the wife of the Burmese king. He was appointed Maha Uparat (2) and, as was customary, sent to govern Phitsanulok. In May 1584 CE, Prince Naresuan proclaimed Ayutthaya's independence at Mueang Kraeng and broke free of the Burmese yoke. Siam had to prepare for war. Ayutthaya had lost a great deal of its population in the latest war with Burma and a series of Cambodian invasions. To prepare for war with Burma, Ayutthaya needed more people. Because Phitsanulok was well populated, King Maha Thammaracha ordered the people of Phitsanulok to move to Ayutthaya at the same time as the Maha Uparat. The latter took residence in the newly built palace and, at the same time, became responsible for defending the strategically important north-eastern corner of the city island. This area would prove fatal for Ayutthaya in 1767 CE. The people from Phitsanulok continued to call the place Wang Chan, the same name as the palace in Phitsanulok. (3)


After his father's death, Prince Naresuan ascended the throne and appointed his younger brother, Prince Ekathotsarot, as viceroy. He called the latter's residence "Chan Bowon Palace" (4). Since then, the palace has been the residence of every Uparat.


In 1605 CE, Prince Ekathotsarot (reign 1605-1610/11) became king and appointed his son, Prince Suthat, as deputy king at Wang Chan.


“King Ekathotsarot, towards the end of his reign, appointed his eldest son, Prince Suthat, to be Maha Uparat. The young Prince had not held this appointment for long when he was accused by one P'ya Nai Wai of plotting to gain possession of the throne. The King appears at this time to have been to some extent mentally afflicted. He caused his son to be executed. Shortly afterwards, a prey to remorse, he himself died, about the end of 1610 CE. Siamese history says that the Prince poisoned himself, on being accused by his father of disloyalty.” [1]





(Chanthara Kasem Palace Gate, one of the four gates of the new palace – April 2015 CE)



Before he acceded to the throne in 1656 CE, Prince Narai (reign 1656-1688 CE) was the Uparat for many years, residing at Wang Chan.

Another name change took place when King Narai (reign 1656-1688 CE) was on the throne and the palace was called the "Bowon Sathan Mongkhon Palace" (4), meaning the "Palace of the Excellent Site of Auspiciousness", a translation we can find back in Cushman's Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya.

“When they were finished the King thereupon manifested His holy compassion by commanding His Highness, the Supreme Holy Lord Child to be sent to the Palace Enclosure of the Moon, and by commanding it be enlarged to become the Holy Royal Palace Enclosure of the Excellent Site of Auspiciousness.” [2]

At the beginning of the reign of King Phetracha (1688-1703 CE), who ascended the throne after King Narai died in 1688 CE, he appointed his son Prince Sorasak to be the Uparat and called his position "Krom Phra Racha Wang Bowon Sathan Mongkon" the title derived from the name of the palace.

“At the same time the King manifested His holy compassion by being pleased to send His Highness, the Supreme Holy Lord Male Child, the Prince of the Holy Royal Palace Enclosure of the Excellent Site of Auspiciousness, to live at the Palace Enclosure of the Moon and to raise it to be the Holy Royal Palace Enclosure of Excellence.” [3]

When Prince Sorasak came to the throne in 1703 CE (as King Sua or King Tiger), he appointed his son, Prince Tai Sra, as Krom Pra Racha Wang. After Prince Tai Sra was crowned as King Phumintharacha (reign 1709-1733 CE), Prince Borommakot (reign 1733-1758 CE) became Uparat and stayed at the palace for 14 years, even though he was already on the throne.

In 1744 CE, a fire broke out at the Chan Bowon Palace and the Uparat had to move to the Grand Palace. The King ordered the reconstruction of the palace so that the deputy king could occupy his former residence again.

“Reaching 1106 of the Royal Era, the year of the rat, sixth of the decade, on the second day of the waning moon in the twelfth month, a fire broke out and burned within the Holy Royal Palace Enclosure of the Auspicious Site of Excellence. His Majesty the Department of the Holy Royal Palace Enclosure thereupon came in holy royal procession to stay in the Holy Royal Palace Enclosure of the Crown. His Majesty ascended to abide in the Holy Throne Hall of the Seat of the Jeweled Chair to the Rear of the Pools, and the Holy Throne Hall Armed with Guns was used for the place His Majesty held court. Then the King was pleased to have the Holy Royal Front Palace Enclosure reconstructed as a holy royal gift for His Majesty the Department of the Holy Royal Palace Enclosure of Excellence to ascend and abide in after the fashion hitherto.” [4]

In 1767 CE, the palace bore the brunt of the Burmese attack as the defensive walls around it were breached. The palace was burned and ruined during the Burmese attack on Ayutthaya.





(Top left, View of the Mahat Thai Building – Top right, the stables – bottom right the Phiman Rattaya Pavilion – Picture taken from the Phisai Sanlalak Pavilion – November 2009 CE)



Palace description before the fall of Ayutthaya


Two documents, the "Testimony of the King Who Entered a Wat" and the "Testimony of the King from Wat Pradu Songtham", describe the Front Palace. The documents were derived from the testimony of prisoners taken to Burma after the sack of Ayutthaya in 1767 CE. They are the only documents that give us insight into how the palace was before the fall of Ayutthaya.


According to Prince Damrong Rajanubhab, the “Testimony of the King Who Entered a Wat” (Khamhaikan khun luang ha wat) was a Mon-language document that somehow arrived in Siam in the mid-nineteenth century. King Mongkut ordered Prince Wongsathirat Sanit to arrange its translation into Thai.


In 1932 CE, the King’s Private Secretariat was abolished. The Cabinet Secretariat first received its extensive manuscript collection, then transferred it to the Fine Arts Department. The collection contained a samut thai manuscript titled “Testimony of the King from Wat Pradu Songtham” (Khamhaikan khun luang wat pradu songtham). [5]


“The old Front Palace, was sited in a cramped space near the royal palace. Later, this Janchaloem Palace was given to become the residence of the Maha Uparat, while the Front Palace King went to reside in Janbowon Palace, fifty sen away from the Royal Palace. Janbowon Palace is sited in the east of the city of Ayutthaya below the causeway. Inside there is an audience hall with four wings but no peak. There are many other buildings, large and small, in front and behind, with swan-tail finials and multi-level roofs, but none has a peak. There are many lodges, large and small, for the inside and front. There are several treasuries, a full complement of attendants, an arsenal for guns, big and small, an arsenal for other weapons, stables for elephants and horses, stores for carriages, halls for various craftsmen, and a court sala for deciding lawsuits for all departments. There is a big sala, known as the official sala of the front palace, for nobles waiting to attend audience. There are duty salas for Mahatthai, Kalahom, Port Department, Palace Department, Land Department, City Department, all six used for judging cases under each of the six departments in the Front Palace. There is also a Registration Hall in the Front Palace, two jails under the prison governor for holding criminals, an elephant landing, water cloister landing, patrol salas at the corners, and boathouses for royal barges and for various procession boats at Wat Tong Pu and Wat Prasat. There is no gunpowder store no tattooing hall, no mint. Inside the Janbow Palace is one Wat called Wat Khun Saen, complete with ordination hall, preaching hall, teaching hall, relic stupa, and other stupas, but no monks because it is inside a palace.” [6]





(Left, the Chaturamuk Pavilion – middle, Phiman Rattaya Pavilion – right, the Phisai Sanlalak Pavilion – November 2009 CE)



Interpreting the Front Palace on the maps

Jacques Nicolas Bellin (1703-1772 CE)


In one of the better maps of ancient Ayutthaya, published in 1750 CE by Jacques Nicolas Bellin and based on data from 1687 CE during the Reign of King Narai, the Chan Palace appears rectangular and walled. It was bordered to the northwest and northeast by the city defence wall and to the south by the canal Khlong Ho Rattanachai. The palace had two bastions: one in the north-west corner and another in the south-east. Two buildings lay parallel to the palace's north-eastern wall one lay parallel to the north-western wall, while two buildings on the east side lay parallel to the eastern wall. Wat Nang is situated outside the palace walls but still within the palace area. However, maps indicated only the most important structures, so many more should have existed.





(Detail of Jacques Nicolas Bellin map ‘Plan De La Ville De Siam’ in ‘Histoire Generale des voyages’ by Prevost, 1750 CE)



Engelbert Kaempfer (1651-1716 CE)


“The second palace, called the foremost Prince Royal palace, is situated in the North East part of the City towards its extremity. It is of a square figure, but not near so large as the first. It was the ancient place of Residence of the former King's, but at present, it is inhabited by the Prince Royal, who is twenty years of age.” [7]


The front palace in Kaempfer’s sketch, labelled “Printzen Palais” (though Wanj Tsjan seems to have been corrected to Wanj Na), is roughly rectangular and comprises two parts: the main palace and a kind of court on its east side. At least three bastions are visible at the NW, SW, and SE corners, and, likely less visibly, one at the NE corner. The walls have visible battlements. The northern palace wall of the Front Palace was not part of the city wall. The palace had a large entrance gate on the northern side, giving access to another gate in the city wall. A covered corridor likely connected these two gates. On the south side, although not visible, there must have been a gate providing access to the Ho Rattanachai Canal and likely an extension of the Nai Kai Canal. A temple, likely Wat Nang, is situated on the west bank of the canal and is accessible via a bridge over the Ho Rattanachai Canal. The court on the east has a protrusion to the north and one to the south, which could have been gates or defensive works.





(Detail of Kaempfer's sketch 1690 CE. Werke 4. Kritische Ausgabe in Einzelbänden. Herausgegeben von Detlef Haberland, Wolfgang Michel und Elisabeth Gössmann. Engelbert Kaempfer in Siam. Iudicum Verlag GmbH München 2003)



Fine Arts Department


The 1974 CE map of the Fine Arts Department shows the palace with three bastions. It has two entrances: one to the north and one to the south. It likely depicts the palace as it looked during the Ayutthaya era at the time of drawing, seemingly incorporating Wat Khamin and Wat Senasanaram. However, the latter was established only in the Rattanakosin era. To the east of the palace lies Khlong Senasanaram, dug in the Rattanakosin era and therefore not present in the Ayutthaya era. It is unclear whether other temples were part of the palace area.





(Detail of a 1974 CE Fine Arts Department map. Courtesy of Dr Surat Lertlum, Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy)



Additional information

The Chan Palace had an inner and outer wall, identical to the Grand Palace. The outer wall was 3.5 metres high. Between the inner and outer walls, a one-metre gap allowed guards to patrol. The wall was about 24 sen long, or 960 metres (5). The testimony of the "Old Capital Inhabitants" (Kham Hai Kan Chao Krung Kao) states there were 6 large gates, 2 metres wide, and 2 small gates, for a total of 8 gates. (6).

Inside the complex, many buildings served different government functions. In front of Uparat’s palace was a state room, and behind it were 3 buildings: one in the north, another in the south, and the other in the east. The buildings in the east and west have a 2-story roof, but the one in the south has a 3-story roof and was the residence of Uparat. All the buildings were gilded, and the interiors were painted red. The building in the south is called Phiman Rattaya Palace, and the ones in the west and the east are called Phra Prat (7), where the throne was situated. In front of the palace are 3 mews, one storeroom, 3 elephant corrals and one pond.

The southern building, called Pra Thi Nang Phiman Rattaya, contained the throne hall. The dwelling was completely gilded, while the interior was painted red. The northern and western buildings were called Pra Paras. It also had storage rooms, three stables, three elephant pens, and one pool.

Prince Damrong Rajanubhab (1862–1943 CE) wrote in his seminal historical work ‘Front Palace Legend (Tamnan Wang Na)’, first published in 1919 CE as part of the Prachum Phongsawadan (Collection of Chronicles) volume 13, that “The Front Palace area was originally larger than this wall. Senaram Temple and Khamin Temple were in the palace area (during the Ayutthaya era, the temples had no monks) because the remains of the royal palace foundation, lotus pile, and Rahatnam base were found in the aforesaid area in the excavation.”

Nantana Hengpujaroen writes that, according to some old documents, the walls around Chan Kasem Palace measured 50 Sen, or approximately 2000 m. The palace occupied an area roughly bounded by the Unmilled Rice Fort (Pom Khao Phluak) and Wat Tha Sai, extending towards the Maha Chai Fort, down to the Ho Rattana Chai Gate, and back along the Ho Rattana Chai canal towards the Unmilled Rice Gate. The palace area should have included at least eight monasteries: Wat Khamin, Wat Song, Wat Khun Saen, Wat Khian and Wat Tha Sai in the north-east Wat Nang (8) in the south and Wat Khwang and Wat Prasat in the east. All of these were roughly at the north-eastern tip of the city island. However, some scholars discussed the idea of a large palace ground, as mentioned here, and ultimately rejected it.

Remains of the throne hall, along with ruined columns, were excavated at the Provincial District Court (south-east of the palace). Many ruined foundations were found in the former prison area (north-west of the palace). Both the court and the prison were originally intended to be outside the palace. It is now clear that the ancient palace had more surface area than the present one.





(Brick road ‘Ayutthaya style’ at the Chanthara Kasem Palace – April 2015 CE)



The 'Description of Ayutthaya'

The 'Description of Ayutthaya', a document probably compiled early in the Bangkok era from the memories of people who had lived in Ayutthaya before 1767 CE, mentioned the existence of gates, landings and markets. (Baker, 2011)

There were two large land gates, the Elephant Landing Gate (Pratu Tha Chang) and the Water Cloister Gate (Pratu Chanoan Nam), on the city wall in front of the Front Palace. Between these two large gates were two small arched gates, identical to the only remaining gate behind the Wat Rattanachai Council School. To be clear, the palace wall was not part of the city wall. The Front Palace, like the Grand Palace, had a long-roofed corridor leading to the palace's main boat landing, to protect and screen off royalty.

In front of the palace, there were two ferry landings. The Tha Chang Wang Na (ท่าช้างวังหน้า), or Elephant Landing, at Hua Ro, connected with Tha Wilanda (ท่าวิลันดา), or Dutch Landing, on the northern mainland. The second ferry route ran between the Police or Guard post south of the Front Palace and north of Wat Khwang Fortress. The landing on the city side was called "Eight Police" (ท่าแปดตำรวจ) and linked to the landing at Wat Taphan Kluea. Between these two ferry landings on the city side, there was another boat landing near the southern wall of the Front Palace, called the Bamboo Basket Landing (ท่าฉลอม). It is unclear whether this was the boat landing for the Uparat. A palace landing identical to Tha Wasukri at the Grand Palace should have existed, though no traces of it appear on the maps.

There were two fresh markets in the immediate vicinity of the Front Palace one was called the Front Palace Earth Gate Market and situated on Earth Gate Road (Pratu Din), while the other was called the Front Palace Elephant Landing Market and situated at the Elephant Landing Gate (Pratu Tha Chang). [8]



King Kirti Sri's Embassy to Siam

In the account of King Kirti Sri's Embassy to Siam in 1750 CE. we find a paragraph on a visit to the Front Palace:

"On the seventh day of the solar month Thula, being Wednesday, in the morning, two officers came and accompanied us in boats to near the palace of the Uva Rajjuruio. There, in a two-staged octagonal hall hung with cloths of diverse kinds, among gorgeous gold worked carpets stretched on the floor, was the sub-king himself seated on a marvelously wrought royal throne. Beautifully engraved swords of solid gold, trays and boxes of gold and silver, and various royal ornaments were placed on either side there was a golden curtain drawn, and on this side of it the great ministers were on their knees making obeisance Here we were ushered in and introduced the sub-king inquired after our welfare, and betel was handed around on trays. We were then shown some books that were not to be found in Lanka at the time we gazed at them in reverence, bowing our heads before the holy paper, and were graciously informed that these books and the priests would be given to us. Next a great feast of rice was served for us and our attendants after which we received permission to withdraw." [9]





(Brick restoration of a part of the old palace located outside the new palace, on the premises of the old prison – November 2009 CE)



After the fall of Ayutthaya

After the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767 CE, the palace was reduced to brick-and-mortar ruins, much like other ancient sites, and fell into neglect.

During the reigns of Kings Rama I through Rama III, people dismantled bricks from the palace walls and transported them to Bangkok to build the city's walls and temples.

King Mongkut (reign 1851-1868 CE) ordered the reconstruction of the Chan Boworn Palace to serve as his residence when visiting Ayutthaya, and renamed it "Chan Kasem Palace". The reconstruction reused the foundations of the former Phiman Rattaya throne hall and the Phisai Sanlalak throne hall. (9) Initially, the King intended to build a palace at the back of the Pom Phet fortress and to use Wat Suwan as the palace temple, but he changed his mind in favour of the old palace site, which was on elevated ground.

Some of them were completed only during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (1868–1910 CE). The reconstruction must have begun in 1851 CE. In 1854 CE, King Rama IV travelled to Ayutthaya to assess the palace. He appointed Chao Praya Maha Siritam, the governor of Ayutthaya, to oversee the reconstruction project, which was finalised around 1857 CE. The palace wall was rebuilt with brick and plaster and decorated with Sema leaf. The wall was 164 meters long, with four gates on each side. However, the newly constructed palace wall was set back significantly from its original position. He also ordered repairs to Wat Senasanaram and Wat Khamin. In the following years, further constructions were added to the palace.

King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) reconstructed the Bang Pa-In Palace as his holiday residence. Chan Kasem Palace fell into disuse, was abandoned, and fell into ruin again.

In 1895 CE, Rama V, busy with administrative reforms, decided to reuse Chan Kasem Palace and ordered it to be improved and converted into a Government office (10).

The Governor of Ayutthaya, Phraya Chai Wichit Sithsak Mahanakrathikarn (Nak Na Pompetch), had the city walls of Ayutthaya pulled down in 1895 CE and constructed the present U-Thong Rd around the city.

King Rama V appointed his brother, Prince Marupongsiripat, to oversee a project to restore the Phiman Rattaya Pavilion as the Governor's Office and the Chaturamuk Pavilion as the Governmental Hall a large building at the corner inside the northern wall was converted into the Communal Hall the theatre in front of the pavilion was converted into the Provincial Hall (11) the building in front of the Phiman Rattaya Pavilion became the Provincial Court, while the Royal Storage and the elephant house were converted into a prison.

The Front Palace deteriorated again during the reign of King Rama VI. Later, during the reign of King Rama VII, Phraya Boran Ratchathanin was ordered to repair it again in 1926 CE, under the supervision of the Royal Institute (which later became the Fine Arts Department). This renovation involved completely dismantling the pavilion the original wooden structural elements—such as columns, girders, joists, and tie beams—were replaced with ferro-concrete. As the original structure was low, its height was increased by one sok (approximately half a meter). The wooden walls were retained, but the original stucco reliefs on the six gable panels, which had deteriorated, were replaced with wood carvings. [10]

Phraya Boran Ratchathanin, the later governor of Ayutthaya and a well-known historian, kept his antique collection at the palace. In 1902 CE, Prince Damrong Ratchanuphab proposed establishing a museum called the “Ancient Museum”, using the horse stable as an exhibition hall.

During a visit in 1904 CE, King Rama V ordered that all the antiques be moved to the Chaturamuk pavilion for exhibition. They added structures to display the objects, and the complex was called the “Ayutthaya Museum”.

The Fine Arts Department declared the "Ayutthaya Museum" on 12 February 1936 CE a national museum named the "National Museum of Chanthara Kasem”.





(Old picture of the Ayutthaya Museum at the Chaturamuk pavilion of Wang Kasem)



Footnotes:

(1) Khu Khue Na, or the Front Moat, lay east of the city of Ayutthaya. The former defensive moat is said to have been dug during the reign of King Ramathibodhi I (U-Thong). More likely, it was the western defensive moat of the ancient city of Ayothya, situated in the Pa Sak River oxbow. The moat thus became a separation ditch (borderline) between Ayothya and the newly established city of Ayutthaya in the Lopburi River oxbow. At the establishment of Ayutthaya, the earthen walls surrounding the city were likely no further than the eastern defensive moat, later known as Khlong Pratu Khao Plueak. By the end of the 16th century, the Lopburi River was diverted into the Front Moat by digging a shunt, creating Hua Ro and allowing the river to fully surround Ayutthaya.
(2) Viceroy, second king. Van Vliet describes the Uparat as the “first mandarin and stadholder of the king” and “head of all the nobility,” apparently a sort of standing regent, able to deputise for the king during absences (Van Vliet's Siam, 145, 278 - Baker, 2014). (3) Some scholars wrote that the palace was called "Chand Palace", the word "Chand" meaning sandalwood, a wood reserved only for the building of royal residences. [Discovering Ayutthaya - Charnvit Kasetsiri & Michael Wright (2007) - page 120-1] Although a translation discussion is not in order here, this writer believes the word "Chan" could also be translated as "Moon". Anyway, "Happy Moon Palace" sounds a lot better than "Happy Sandalwood Palace", or not? - Certainly, as sandalwood was used to knock Royals to heaven.
(3) "Bowon" means "Excellent".
(4) "Mongkhon" means "Auspicious".
(5) Sen is a traditional Thai unit of length equal to 40 m.
(6) During excavations in 2003 CE, a section of the northern wall was uncovered at the former prison site. The wall was about 140 cm thick. Excavations uncovered a three-metre-wide gate, with fragments of wooden door poles. The gate floor was laid in a brick fishbone pattern. It is assumed that part of this wall also lies beneath the Provincial District Court, east of the current palace. The old palace walls were longer than those reconstructed during King Mongkut's reign.
(7) Phra Prat (พระปรัศว์ or a flanking palace wings). In traditional Thai palace layouts, a Phra Pratsawa refers to the residential wings or side pavilions flanking the main axis of a primary throne hall.
(8) Documents often refer to Wat Senasanaram, but this temple was not established during the Ayutthaya era, but in the Rattanakosin era, during the reign of Rama IV. Some papers mention Wat Suea, a forerunner of Wat Senasanaram, but this temple has never been found and thus has not been excavated. A 1957 CE map indicates Wat Suea at the location of Wat Nang. The old Chronicles mention Tha Suea, or Tiger landing, during the reign of King Worawongsa (1548), which led to the wrong assumption that there must have been a Wat Tha Suea.
(9) Earlier excavations indicated that the Phiman Rattaya building was built on the base of an ancient building, which consisted of brick and plaster. At the same time, the outside was sealed with cement and decorated with a lotus pattern. This base was found at a depth of about 130 to 140 cm and belonged to the first construction from the 16th century. The same was valid for the Chaturamuk Pavilion. Foundations were even deeper, at 140 to 180 cm, and likely dated to the 15th century. Other remains of the old Chan Palace include the foundation of a waterwheel that was used to draw water from outside into the palace. This brick foundation, by the river, deviated from the line of the walls. Locals used to call it ‘Than Po’ because an enormous ‘Po tree’ grows on it. However, two lines of pottery water supply run beneath it. One line goes to a well near the Pisaisanlak Building the other goes in front of the Chaturamuk Pavilion. There are likely more, but further investigation cannot be carried out because many buildings and structures have been built on them.

(10) In 1895 CE, a new provincial administration was established. The Circle Administration (Monton Tesapiban) grouped provinces by geography and administrative convenience. A Circle Governor headed the provincial administration, selected from highly qualified people trusted by the King. The County of Krung Kao was established, comprising Ayutthaya, Ang Thong, Saraburi, Lopburi, Phromburi and Inthaburi, and was ruled by a Governor. District Administration was set up under the provincial administrative level.
(11) This building does not exist anymore.



References:


[1] Wood, William, A.R. (1924). A History of Siam. Chalermnit Press.

[2] Cushman, Richard D. & Wyatt, David K. (2006). The Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya. Bangkok: The Siam Society. pp. 322-3.

[3] Ibid. p. 338.

[4] Ibid. p. 439.

[5] Baker, Chris (2011). Note On Testimonies And Description Of Ayutthaya. Journal of the Siam Society. Vol. 99.

[6] Baker, Chris (2014). Final Part of the Description of Ayutthaya with Remarks on Defense, Policing, Infrastructure, and Sacred Sites. Journal of the Siam Society, Vol. 102.

[7] Kaempfer, Engelbert (1727). The History of Japan (Together with a Description of the Kingdom of Siam). John Gaspar Scheuchzer. London. Hans Sloane, Praes. Soc. Reg.

[8] Baker, Chris (2011). Before Ayutthaya Fell: Economic Life in an Industrious Society. Markets and Production in the City of Ayutthaya before 1767: Translation and Analysis of Part of the Description of Ayutthaya. Journal of the Siam Society. Vol. 99.

[9] Pieris, P.E. (1908). Religious Intercourse Between Ceylon and Siam in the Eighteenth Century. Bangkok Siam Observer Office, p. 28.

[10] Krom Sinlapakorn (1968), Phra Rachawang lae Wat Boran nai Jangwat Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya (Fine Arts Department).


Consulted works:


[A] Hengpujaroen, Nantana (2003). The study of Chantharakasem Palace for developing the Management Plan. Silpakorn University. ISBN 974-464-0731.

[B] Rajanubhap, Damrong (Prince). (1919). Prachum Phongsawadan (Collection of Chronicles) volume 13. Wachirayan Royal Library, Bangkok



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HISTORY OF AYUTTHAYA



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