Wat Nak, or the Monastery of the Naga, is located off the city island in the northern area of Ayutthaya in the Suan Phrik Sub-district. It can be reached by road No 3060 leading from the Elephant Kraal to Wat Phukhao Thong. This area was at earlier times “Thale Ya” or “Sea of Grass” as the whole area was a large grass field.
“Thale Ya” was derived from the name of the sub-district at that time, called “Thamle Ya”. The temple was situated on the north bank of a canal leading from the old Lopburi River to Wat Borommawong, called Khlong Nam Ya.
In situ, there is still a brick mound and an ancient pond. In recent times a commemorating vihara has been put on top. In the vihara is a pedestal with three Buddha images found at the location. The story goes that on a day, “heaven called.” Local people found on the spot a head of a Buddha image sticking out of the ground, the flame filial (ketumala) broken. The locals dug out the image, repaired the filial, built a vihara on top of the ruins of Wat Nak and gave the statue a prominent place. The two flanking Buddha images inside the vihara were also found on site, their bodies decapitated. These images were also repaired.
Historical data about the monastery and its construction is unknown.
Wat Monthop does not appear on Phraya Boran Rachathanin’s map of 1926 CE and is first shown on a Fine Arts Department map of 1993 CE.
The site is in geographical coordinates: 14° 22' 47.84" N, 100° 33' 52.66" E.
