Wat Khok Kraphrao, or the Monastery of the Basil Mound, was situated in the eastern part of Ayutthaya’s city island in the Pratu Chai Sub-district. The temple stood on the south side of Pa Than Road, today Naresuan Road (2nd Avenue) and in between Khlong Pratu Khao Pluak (1) and Khlong Makham Riang (2).
Wat Khok Kraphao stood in line with Wat Saphan Than, Wat Salak, Wat Langka and Wat Jan along Pa Than Road.
Historical data about Wat Khok Kraphrao and its construction are not known.
Wat Khok Kraphrao must have been approximately situated in geographical coordinates: 14° 21' 29.12" N, 100° 34' 22.70" E.
Wat Khok Kraphrao on the maps:
The monastery features on a 19th-century map of an unknown surveyor at the north side of the road leading from the Pa Than Bridge towards Pratu Jao Jin at the Front City Canal (3). Wat Khok Kraphrao was located east of Wat Pa Than, south of Wat Klong and west of Wat Sa.
Phraya Boran Rachathanin (PBR) indicated this temple on his 1926 CE map but didn't mention its name. At par with Wat Saphan Than, PBR positioned this monastery south of Pa Than road, present Naresuan Rd. 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.
We find the same location of Wat Khok Kraphrao also on a Fine Arts Department map drafted in 1974 CE.
Footnotes:
(1) Khlong Pratu Khao Pluak, or the ‘Canal of the Gate of Unmilled Rice’, was part of a waterway running through the middle of Ayutthaya from north to south. The canal, a shortcut in the oxbow of the Lopburi River, ran until the Chikun Bridge and continued to the Chinese water gate (Pratu Jin). It was filled up somewhere in the early 20th century.
(2) Khlong Makham Riang, or the Canal of the aligned Tamarind Trees, was before called Khlong Nai Kai. It is a still existent canal situated east on Ayutthaya's city island. The canal was a shortcut in the oxbow of the old Lopburi River. It has today its origin at Khlong Ho Ratana Chai below Wat Senasanaram and the Front Palace, and its mouth at the present Chao Phraya River, west of Phet Fortress.
(3) Khlong Na Mueang (Front City Canal) or Khu Khue Na (Front Moat) ran east of the city of Ayutthaya. The former moat is said to have been dug in the reign of King Ramathibodhi I, also called King U-Thong. It was initially a defensive moat or could have been a separation ditch (borderline) between the ancient city of Ayodhya situated in the oxbow of the Pa Sak River and the new established city of Ayutthaya in the oxbow of the Lopburi River.
