Wat Phrao was located off the city island in the northern area of Ayutthaya in the Hua Ro Sub-district along a small canal (Khlong Wat Phrao), giving access to Khlong Hua Ro (1). The word "phrao" (พร้าว) is likely derived from "maphrao" (มะพร้าว) or coconut. The monastery stood in an area called Thung Kaeo (2).
In the Ayutthayan era, a market was held near the temple. “Talat Wat Phrao” was one of the 30 land markets outside the city of Ayutthaya. In the manuscript "Testimony of the King from Wat Pradu Songtham", a document likely compiled in the early Rattanakosin period, it is written that there was a land market at Wat Maphrao beside Ban Yuan Thale (3). At the village beside Wat Phrao, Indians and Thai made fragrant powder and oil, krajae scented water, krajae incense sticks, kradat incense sticks, and perfumes for sale. [1]
The land of the former temple site was levelled shortly before my visit in December 2008 CE. A boundary stone (bai sema), seemingly on its original pedestal and presumed to have belonged to the former temple, can still be seen on a private property in the immediate vicinity.
The history of Wat Phrao and its construction date is unknown.
Wat Phrao is shown on the Monthon Krung Kao map of 1916 CE and Phraya Boran Rachathanin's map drafted in 1926 CE. The temple stood opposite Wat Sam Wihan on the opposite bank.
The monastery is also indicated on 1974, 1993 and 2007 CE Fine Arts Department (FAD) maps.
The 2007 CE FAD map put Wat Phrao in geographical coordinates: 14° 22.346' N, 100° 34.060' E.
Based on my contact with the villagers, the temple must have been situated in geographical coordinates: 14° 22' 17.59" N, 100° 34' 7.89" E.
Footnotes:
(1) Khlong Hua Ro is situated off the city island in the northern area, north of Hua Ro Sub-district. The canal is the western border of the Suan Phrik Sub-district and the eastern border of the Lum Phli and Khlong Sra Bua sub-districts. The old Lopburi River bed ran from Wat Khao Din (Wat Wora Nayok Rangsan) in Bang Pahan District towards the city of Ayutthaya and is now divided into four stretches Khlong Ban Muang from Wat Muang until Wat Dao Khanong in Bang Pahan District Khlong Bang Khuat (a short-cut canal in the Lopburi River loop) from Wat Dao Khanong to (south of) Wat Klang Raman in Ayutthaya City District Khlong Hua Ro from (north of) Wat Pom Raman to Hua Ro in Ayutthaya City District.
(2) Thung Kaeo, or Crystal Field, is an area north of the city of Ayutthaya bordered on the west and north by Khlong Sra Bua, on the east by Khlong Hua Ro, and on the south by Khlong Mueang.
(3) The village of the sea Vietnamese.
References:
[1] 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. pp. 52-3.
