Rear Palace

Wang Lang, or the Rear Palace, is a defunct Ayutthaya-era palace, formerly located on the site now occupied by the Fine Arts Department (FAD) - Region 3, adjacent to Chedi Phra Sri Suriyothai, part of Wat Suan Luang. In the 20th century, the site was a liquor distillery. The Rear Palace was situated opposite Wat Kasattra on the east bank of the old Lopburi River, whose riverbed in the 19th century became the Chao Phraya River. The site lay within the city walls on the western side.

The palace was first mentioned in the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya during the reign of King Chakkraphat (1548-1569 CE). At the end of 1565 CE, King Chakkraphat appointed his son, Prince Mahin, as regent and retired to private life. He took up residence at the Rear Palace.

“In 914, a year of the rat, during the twelfth month, King Cakkraphat, Lord of the White Elephant, raised Prince Mahin, the Nò Phraphutthacao, to rule the realm as its supreme sovereign, observe the royal traditions and govern the Kingdom of the Capital City of Ayutthaya. King Cakkraphat, Lord of the White Elephant, went out to occupy the Rear Palace. At that time, the king was fifty-nine years old. King Mahin, Lord of the Realm, was twenty-five years old when he ascended the royal throne.” (1) [1]

The Rear Palace was mentioned on later occasions. King Suthammaracha (reign 1656 CE), newly installed on the throne, made sexual advances towards a younger sister of Prince Narai (reign 1656-1688 CE). The young lady was not at all charmed by this incident and escaped into a book cabinet at the Front Palace to seek an audience with her elder brother. His uncle's actions did not amuse Prince Narai he gathered his troops and supporters and attacked the Royal Palace. After a night of fighting, King Suthammaracha escaped to the Rear Palace, where Prince Narai's ministers later arrested him. The King was taken to Wat Khok Phraya to be executed, as was the custom.

“On that very same day, the ministers, having followed and taken the Supreme-Holy Si Sutham Rachathirat at the Rear Palace Enclosure, had him taken to have his punishment executed at the Monastery of the Knoll of the Phraya in accordance with custom. Holy Si Sutham Rachathirat had managed to be in possession of the royal wealth for two months and twenty days.” [2]

The Rear Palace, originally a royal pavilion, stood in a garden outside the Royal Palace. The Ayutthaya kings occasionally stayed here, and the area was therefore known as "Suan Luang" (the royal garden).

The palace was rebuilt on a larger scale during the reign of King Maha Thammaracha (1569-1590 CE), around 1577 CE, when the fortified Chan Palace (Wang Mai) was built and used as a residence for the king's oldest son, Prince Naresuan (reign 1590-1605 CE). The king's youngest son, Prince Ekathotsarot (reign 1605-1610/11 CE), likely resided at the Rear Palace. The Rear Palace had its own temple, Wat Noi (Little Monastery). The Rear Palace may have served as the Front Palace before 1577 CE.

The Chan Palace later became known as the Wang Na (Front Palace), while Suan Luang was known as the Wang Lang (Rear Palace), because the former stood at the front and the latter at the back of Wang Luang (Royal Palace). The Rear Palace became the residence of the princes of the blood, while the Front Palace housed the Uparat, or viceroy (second king). [3]

King Narai's half-brothers, the princes Noi and Aphaithot, resided at Wang Lang, which served as the official residence for important royal princes. During the succession crisis that brought King Phetracha (reign 1688-1703 CE) to power, the princes in the Rear Palace were regarded as potential claimants to the throne. Both princes were lured out of their protective palace under the guise of being summoned to Lopburi and were quickly assassinated.

“In 1044 of the Royal Era, a year of the dog, ____ of the decade, [1682] Supreme Holy Reigning Lord Narai of the Municipality of Lopburi fell ill with His holy disease at the Clear Heaven Holy Throne. Phra Phet Racha went in to live at the Mansion of Holy Cahao and then had police come down to invite Their Highnesses, the Celestial Lords Ngòi and Aphaithot - holy younger brothers of the King sharing the same holy royal father and who were residing at a holy domicile in the Holy Royal Rear Palace Enclosure - by saying a holy royal proclamation had been issued to invite Their Highnesses to ascend for an audience [with the King] at the Municipality of Lopburi. When Their Highnesses ascended and arrived at the Municipality of Lopburi, Luang Sòrasak had lord functionaries escort them forth and execute them at the Monastery of the Carrion.” [4]

Engelbert Kaempfer

Engelbert Kaempfer (1651-1716 CE), a medical doctor working for the Dutch VOC (Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie), surveyed the city of Ayutthaya in June 1690 CE, and wrote that the Rear Palace was the smallest of the three palaces and situated in the least inhabited part of the city. In 1690 CE, a prince of royal ascendance inhabited the place, called the "Palace of the Querry of the King's Elephants", because he oversaw the royal elephants (2). Kaempfer indicated the palace on his sketch, draft map, and published map of Ayutthaya.

“The third and last Palace is smaller than any of the two, and situated in the West and least inhabited part of the City. In this lives at present a Prince of the Royal Palace of the Blood, and it is call'd the Palace of the Querry of the of the King's Elephants, the said Prince being the Conductor and Manager of the Elephant, which carries the King." [5]

Kaempfer went on 28 June 1690 CE to the city and visited the immediate surroundings of the royal palace and the northwestern part. He was unimpressed by the sight and noted the following:

“On the 28th, Wednesday, I spent the afternoon in the city and especially inspected the situation of the three palaces, as well as the embankment, which was constructed with a double filling of piles and earth. In truth, there is nothing royal about them, nor anything that could justify the praise bestowed on them by the Frenchman Tachard. The princely palace (where, if I may say so, the widow of the deceased king resides) might pass for the country residence of a baron or nobleman. The third palace, situated behind the others, is so dark, cramped, and poor that it harmonises perfectly with the most desolate quarter of the city. Indeed, one may question whether its cramped and filthy recesses and narrow courtyard would serve better as a prison than as a free residence. I must admit that the residences of the Malabar kings, such as those of Cochin, Porca, Cali(cut), and Quilon/Colang, though old-fashioned and not more magnificent, are nevertheless situated more openly and pleasantly.” [6]

What do we learn from Kaempfer’s sketch? The Rear Palace is labelled ‘Wang Lang’ and sits between two canals, the Chang Maha Chai Canal to the north and the Tha Phra Canal to the south. On the east side of the palace, a road led north to a bridge over the Chang Maha Chai Canal, known as Crystal Bridge in the old documents.

On the same side, in the middle of the palace wall, another road, Lao Road, led to Saphan Lam Hoei, a bridge over the Chakrai Yai Canal that led to Four Ways Road (Talaeng Kaeng Road). North and south, parallel to Lao Road, were canals that ran into the Chakrai Yai Canal.

The north wall is indicated as 350 paces long, or about 280 metres (Kaempfer counted his steps), so there must have been a path on that side. In the northwest of the palace premises is a chedi, which could have been the present Chedi Suriyothai, an element of the former Suan Luang. Within the palace, on the west side of the eastern wall, was another structure which I could not identify (gate?).

What do we learn from Kaempfer’s draft map, likely made during his travels aboard the Dutch VOC ship ‘Maalstroom’ in July or August 1690 CE? Within the palace, on the west side of the eastern wall, are now two structures I could not identify (gates?). The palace walls appear to have embattled parapets, identical to those of the city wall. In the middle of the palace grounds to the west are a chedi and a building. The chedi is now positioned farther south than in the sketch, but it is likely the same one. Access to the river is via the covered Ratcha Wang Lang Landing. The canal arriving opposite the southwest corner is Khlong Worachet, also known as Khlong Wat Pom (3).

Kaempfer’s published 1727 CE map, engraved after he died in 1716 CE, does not provide additional clues. The road on the east side of the palace led north to the Chang Maha Chai Canal and south to the Tha Phra Canal, but this is debatable, as the southern end is neither visible on the sketch nor on the drafted map. The Crystal Bridge is no longer on the road extension but is now farther west, where the water gate of Khlong Chang Maha Chai is expected it is definitely not as in the sketch. The two unidentified structures are no longer within the palace area but protrude towards the road. What they are remains a guess. The published map is an engraving and, to some degree, was distorted during the engraving process.

Jacques-Nicolas Bellin

What do we learn from Jacques-Nicolas Bellin’s map “Plan de la Ville de Siam” in Antoine François Prévost’s Histoire générale des voyages, Tome IX? La Haye: P. de Hondt, 1749? Bellin (1703-1772 CE) did not survey the plan himself he derived it from earlier French sources from the late 17th century, particularly those from the period of the French embassy to Siam. What distinguishes Kaempfer’s survey is the canal on the east side, which connected to the two earlier-mentioned canals. This canal also connected to the Chakrai Yai Canal, but south of Lao Road. Kaempfer indicated two canals parallel to Lao Road that led to the Chakrai Yai Canal, but he did not link them in the west to the canal along the east side of the palace.

The palace grounds seem much larger than on Kaempfer’s maps and occupy the entire area between the Chang Maha Chai Canal in the north and the Tha Phra Canal in the south. The palace area is not connected to the city wall, which could mean that there was a separate palace wall. The Rear Palace building (C) is called “Pagode ou le Roi de Siam régnant alors avoit eté élevé”, meaning “Pagoda where the reigning King of Siam was raised”, referring to King Narai. I believe it should read "Palace" instead of "Pagoda." A chedi (p – pagoda) is drawn in the upper corner of the palace grounds and must be Phra Chedi Suriyothai. Below, on the east side of the grounds, another chedi is indicated, likely Wat Noi Wang Lang. The rectangular area in the south was likely gardens and domestic housing. On the west side of the palace wall, two small protrusions stand out, likely marking the locations of the arched gates in the city wall, which may have been fortified.

The last time the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya mentions the Rear Palace is in the reign of King Phetracha. The Rear Palace may have fallen into disuse thereafter.

The old documents mention a boat landing in front of the Rear Palace called Tha Phra Ratcha Wang Lang, which connected the palace to the landing at Wat Lot Chong. Chris Baker suggested that the ferry at Wat Lot Chong probably travelled to a landing just north of the mouth of Khlong Tha Phra, and the ferry from the Phra Ratcha Wang Lang Landing went to Wat Ratcha Phli. [6]

After the fall of Ayutthaya

The remains of the palace were likely dismantled at the beginning of the Rattanakosin period, when bricks were gathered to help build Bangkok after the capital moved from Thonburi across the Chao Phraya River. This was the same fate as the other palaces in Ayutthaya. People cleared the land and turned it into mango orchards. [8]

King Rama V (reign 1868-1910 CE) ordered a military reorganisation and established the 3rd Army Division. The division was associated with the Bangkok Army Circle and drew personnel from the Krung Kao area. The Department of Military Affairs selected the areas of the former Suan Luang, Wang Lang and Wat Sop Sawan for military installation (construction of barracks), and a military unit was established there in 1906 CE, sometimes referred to as the “Military Department of Monthon Krung Kao”. The Fine Arts Department noted that the site was selected without the historical significance of the former Wat Sop Sawan and Wang Lang necessarily being understood at the time.

In 1908 CE, King Chulalongkorn visited Ayutthaya for a royal ceremony honouring former kings, renewing interest in the city's historical sites. Phraya Boran Ratchathanin (1872-1936 CE) investigated Ayutthaya's historical geography and identified the military construction site within the former palace and temple area.

In 1912 CE, the military site and the historical landscape became closely associated with the commemoration of Queen Suriyothai and the construction of the Suriyothai memorial. King Rama VI (reign 1910-1925 CE), influenced by Phraya Boran and Prince Damrong, recognised the site's importance and re-established the memorial to Queen Suriyothai, naming the chedi 'Phra Chedi Si Suriyothai'.

Just over a year after the 1932 CE Siamese Revolution, which overthrew the absolute monarchy, a rebellion broke out on 11 October 1933 CE. The Ayutthaya garrison joined Prince Boworadet’s royalist "National Salvation Group" and marched on Bangkok. The Khana Ratsadon Government forces defeated the rebels. In the aftermath, the Thai military underwent extensive restructuring. The 1st Engineer Battalion, which occupied the Rear Palace site in Ayutthaya, was transferred to Ratchaburi.

In 1934 CE, the Ministry of Public Instruction (กระทรวงธรรมการ) requested the surviving buildings for five educational institutions, including male and female teacher-training schools, a girls' vocational school, an agricultural school, and a primary school. The former barracks therefore served as an educational site.

As Minister of Finance, Pridi Banomyong promoted a modern state alcohol industry as part of Ayutthaya's industrial development plan. The government initially considered replacing outdated equipment at the Bang Yi Khan distillery in Bangkok. Still, the plan evolved into building a new, large-scale alcohol and liquor production complex in Ayutthaya. In 1939 CE, the Ministry of Finance obtained the former military land and buildings for the new industrial establishment. The educational institutions were provided with replacement premises elsewhere in the city. The project was part of a broader programme to transform land inside Ayutthaya's old city walls into a modern town with designated commercial, residential, governmental, industrial and heritage zones. The former military grounds were allocated to industry rather than preserved entirely as an archaeological landscape. The site of the Rear Palace was chosen because the land beside the Chao Phraya allowed heavy machinery, raw materials and finished products to be transported by water. The former military compound was extensive enough for a modern industrial complex. Pridi Banomyong sought to develop domestic alcohol production, create employment and reduce dependence on imports.

Work began in April 1940 CE. One of the first major projects was a navigation canal, approximately 50 metres wide, dug about one kilometre inland from the Chao Phraya River. The canal was intended to facilitate the waterborne transport of industrial equipment and materials. They removed existing buildings and houses along its route, then cleared and levelled the site.

International conflict disrupted construction contracts and equipment procurement. Thailand eventually purchased a distillation machine from British Malaya, but its entry into the Second World War halted the project. During the war, the Ministry of Defence requested that the 54th Infantry Battalion use the site temporarily from June 1943 CE. In November 1943 CE, the military commander ordered the northern part of the factory grounds reserved for military use, leading to disputes between the Defence and Industry ministries. This area of Wat Sop Sawan still has a military presence today, housing the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Provincial Royal Thai Army Ordnance.

Liquor production for sale began in 1948 CE, while the larger alcohol plant was still under construction. The alcohol distillery was completed in 1951 CE. Its facilities included the distillation building, alcohol storage, boilers and machinery, fuel storage, a laboratory, fermentation facilities, a power station, workshops, water-supply facilities and staff housing. Its stated capacity was 30,000 litres of purified alcohol per day, using molasses as feedstock. The Ayutthaya plant became a major centre of alcohol production in Thailand. Its products served liquor manufacturers as well as the medical, fuel, cosmetics and perfume industries. The operation supported local employment and reduced dependence on imported alcohol. The complex included both the alcohol plant and a separate liquor distillery.

Following approval of the Ayutthaya Historic City conservation and development project in 1993 CE, the provincial authorities, the Fine Arts Department and the Department of Industrial Promotion agreed that the industrial facilities should be relocated from the historic city. Production ceased at the end of 1996 CE, and demolition began in 1997 CE. The surviving factory canal, open land, nearby historic-park offices and residential communities preserve various traces of the industrial period.

In 1993 CE, the Thai government approved the “Master Plan for Conserving and Developing the Historic City of Ayutthaya”. The distillery lay within the area designated for historical preservation (the UNESCO World Heritage area), so the authorities agreed to relocate the industrial operations. Liquor production stopped at the end of 1996 CE the plant was relocated to Chachoengsao Province, and demolition began in 1997 CE. [9]

In 1994 CE, the Ayutthaya Historical Park Office, under the 3rd Regional Office of Fine Arts, operated in the area around Phra Chedi Phra Sri Suriyothai, when the “Master Plan for the Conservation and Development of the Historic City of Ayutthaya” received its first year of government funding. The 3rd Regional Office of Fine Arts transferred to the former Ayutthaya liquor factory site in 2001 CE.

Archaeological excavations

Archaeological excavations at the Rear Palace occurred in 1998, 2000 and 2003 CE. The 1998 CE excavation at the Rear Palace marked the initial exploratory phase after clearing the first factory structures. The focus was to locate the palace's central structural axis and to establish the original ground level, which had been buried or altered by industrial development. Archaeologists uncovered extensive, thick brick floor layouts and massive retaining walls, indicative of a major royal compound rather than of civilian households. A dense, dark soil matrix interbedded with charcoal layers was identified, suggesting past structural fires, likely corresponding to the historical siege and the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767 CE. [10]

The objective of the 2000 CE excavation phase was to determine whether the area surrounding the core palace structures housed specialised royal artisans, garrison communities, or general civilians. Fragments of earthenware, domestic pottery, and imported trade ceramics (Chinese blue-and-white porcelain shards) were discovered, helping to map distinct residential zones alongside state administrative buildings. Multiple wooden post-holes arranged in grids were recorded, indicating ancillary wooden outbuildings and housing units that served the inner palace guard before the complex was destroyed. [11]

In 2003 CE, excavations were undertaken to help establish the boundaries of the former Wang Lang palace. It should not be confused with a comprehensive excavation of the entire palace compound. [12]

Key findings:

The lower cultural layers contained small quantities of stoneware associated with the Ban Bang Poon kilns and the Sukhothai–Si Satchanalai kiln centres, which may indicate some use of the area as early as approximately the fourteenth to fifteenth centuries CE (1358–1457 CE), but the occupation was relatively sparse.

The archaeological layers indicate that the area was used intensively from roughly the fifteenth to sixteenth centuries CE. Substantial quantities of Chinese ceramics, including Ming- and Qing-period wares, were found, indicating more intensive use of the area over an extended period.

Researchers also found a Phra Phuttha Nak Prok, or Buddha sheltered by the naga serpent (post-Bayon style), described as a Lopburi-style sculpture, as well as a standing Buddha image in the Dvaravati style, at the Chedi Phra Sri Suriyothai archaeological site. Both are currently kept at the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum. The sculpture's artistic date does not match the excavated site's stratigraphy therefore, the sculptures may have been moved to the site from elsewhere rather than representing occupation there when they were made. We can conclude that the area developed into a significant royal and religious precinct.

The findings support the historical understanding of Wang Lang as a secondary royal residence (or former royal garden) on the western side of Ayutthaya’s city island. Its riverfront location was strategically significant. The remains confirm substantial structures, but modern disturbance and incomplete coverage limit definitive conclusions about the precise layout or full boundaries.

Footnotes:

(1) The Royal Chronicles of Phan Canthanumat, British Museum, Reverend Phonnarat, Phra Cakkraphatdiphong & Royal Autograph speak of 914 CS or 1552 CE, while a Chronicle of an unknown author speaks of 927 CS or 1565 CE. The latter date is generally taken as the date of King Chakkraphat's retirement. (See Wood - A History of Siam – p. 121). At his son's request, King Chakkraphat continued to rule in 1568 until he died in 1569 CE.

(2) According to the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya, this prince was likely Chao Phraya Wichit Phuban, formerly named Master Bun Mak, a servant of King Phetracha. He received the paraphernalia of royal rank at the new king's accession and was sent to live in the Rear Palace.

(3) Khlong Worachet, now defunct, had a good footpath leading to the main river surrounding the city. The mouth was likely between Wat Ratcha Phli and Wat Kasattra, situated just opposite the Rear Palace. In Van Vliet’s ‘Diary of the Picnic Incident’, the path is mentioned in the text as it was used by two drunken Dutch to walk back to the river, harassing monks and locals.

References:

[1] Cushman, Richard D. & Wyatt, David K. (2006). The Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya. Bangkok: The Siam Society. p. 51.

[2] Ibid. pp. 230-1.

[3] Amatyakul, Tri (1957). Guide to Ayudhya and Bang-Pa-In. Bangkok: Prachandra Press. pp 27-8.

[4] Cushman, Richard D. & Wyatt, David K. (2006). The Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya. Bangkok: The Siam Society. p. 309.

[5] Kaempfer, Engelbert (1727). The History of Japan (Together with a Description of the Kingdom of Siam). John Gaspar Scheuchzer. London. Hans Sloane, Pres. Soc. Reg. p. 46.

[6] Kaempfer, Engelbert - Werke 4. Kritische Ausgabe in Einzelbänden. Herausgegeben von Detlef Haberland, Wolfgang Michel und Elisabeth Gössmann. Engelbert Kaempfer in Siam. Iudicum Verlag GmbH München 2003. Edited by Barend Jan Terwiel.

[7] 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.

[8] Phraya Boran Burirak (1907). Tamnan Krung Kao (History of the Old City). Bangkok. Aksorn Printing House.

[9] Thepsongkhro, Saranu (2567 BE). Pridi Panomyong and the Ayutthaya Alcohol Distillery. Pridi Banomyong Institute.

[10] Report on Archaeological Excavation and Cleansing at the Rear Palace Site, Fiscal Year 1998. Fine Arts Department. 3rd Regional Office, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya.

[11] Archaeological Excavation Project to Study Ancient Ayutthaya Communities around the Rear Palace Area: Summary Report, 2000. Fine Arts Department. 3rd Regional Office, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya.

[12] Report on Archaeological Excavations to Determine the Boundaries of Wang Lang (รายงานปฏิบัติงานขุดค้นหาขอบเขตวังหลัง) Fine Arts Department, 3rd Regional Office, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, 2003.

AYUTTHAYA HISTORICAL RESEARCH

THE REAR PALACE

(The Rear Palace – likely at the time of drawing the Front Palace - on Johannes Vingboons "Afbeldinge der stadt Iudiad hooft des choonincrick Siam" watercolour map - 1665 CE)

(Phra Chedi Suriyothai at Suan Luang – December 2008 CE)

(The Rear Palace on Engelbert Kaempfer's sketch – 1690 CE)

(The Rear Palace on Kaempfer’s drafted map – 1690 CE)

(The Rear Palace on Engelbert Kaempfer's published map in 1727 CE)

(Detail of Bellin’s map "Plan de la Ville de Siam")

(The former military grounds being used for educational institutions – 1938 CE – Source: Thepsongkhro, 2567 BE)

(1957 CE map showing the area of the Alcohol and Liquor Distillery and the Army Cantonment)

(Map showing the alcohol factory, liquor distillery, staff housing and the military land retained to the north – 1959 CE - Source: Thepsongkhro, 2567 BE)

(Images of the Ayutthaya Alcohol and Liquor Distillery - Ayutthaya Provincial Annual Report Year 1957 - Source: Thepsongkhro, 2567 BE)

(The Rear Palace on Phraya Boran Ratchathanin’s 1926 CE Map)

(Buddha sheltered by the Naga serpent found at Wang Lang – Chao Sam Phraya National Museum - April 2012 CE)

When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.
(Alexis de Tocqueville)

HISTORY OF AYUTTHAYA

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