WAT JINGJOK (1)





Wat Jingjok, or the Monastery of the Fox, was located on Ayutthaya's city island outside the Historical Park in the Pratu Chai Sub-district. It was situated on the actual premises of the Chao Sam Phraya Museum, North of Rojana Road, in an area called before Thung Khaek. (1)


There are no traces anymore visible of the monastery above ground level.


Historical data about the monastery and its construction are unknown.


A 19th-century map shows Wat Jingjok south of Wat Dawadung and east of Wat San Jao Thung, north of the former brick road being an extension of Chinese Street.


This location does not match with Phraya Boran Rachathanin's (PBR) map drafted in 1926 CE, which indicates this temple southeast of Wat Pa Nai near the confluence of Khlong Chakrai Noi and the connection canal leading to Khlong Pratu Thep Mi. Thus, PBR situates Wat Jingjok more north. Phraya Boran (1871-1936 CE) was the Superintendent Commissioner of Monthon Ayutthaya from 1925 till 1929 CE but occupied important functions since 1896 CE in Monthon Ayutthaya.


The denomination on both maps is also different. The 19th-century map shows วัดจิงจก, while PBR writes วัดจิ้กจอก leaving the interpretation open between respectively the ‘Monastery of the House Lizard’ and the ‘Monastery of the Fox’. The Fine Arts Department maps of 1957, 1974, 1993 and 2007 CE indicate Wat Jingjok.


The site was in geographical coordinates: 14° 21' 3.92" N, 100° 33' 42.65" E, at present close to the museum building itself.


Footnotes:


(1) ‘Thung’ means a field, but maybe here an area. ‘Khaek’ is a term for foreigners from some countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia, Arabs except Jews.