Wat Rattana Chai, or the Monastery of Supreme Victory, is located in the south-eastern part of Ayutthaya’s city island in Ho Rattana Chai Sub-district. The modern monastery stands on the premises of an older temple called Wat Jin, or the Chinese Monastery. Wat Rattana Chai can be easily accessed via the U Thong Road.
The area from Pratu Jin (1) until the harbour (2), where junks cast anchor before in a location called Hua Sarapha, was populated mainly by Chinese migrants and traders in the Ayutthaya era. [1] Chinese dyed and sold indigo cloth at the village outside the wall at the corner by the Sarapha quarter. [2]
The monastery stood at the end of the Three Horses Road. Along this road from the Nai Kai Bridge until Wat Jin, Chinese made jan-op and dried Chinese sweets of various types at their workshops. Chinese artisans made and sold different kinds of wooden barrels with collars of wood or metal. They also made ‘nang loeng’ water jars and various metal articles for sale and beat metal in various shapes. [3]
Near the temple, but outside the city wall, there was a ferry service between the city island and Wat Ko Kaeo on the south side of the mouth of Khao San Canal.
Wat Rattana Chai dates to the Rattanakosin period, and as such, I am not going to dwell on it much longer as it has all the essential monastic buildings on its premises.
Adjacent to the Pa Sak River stands a whitewashed classic Ayutthaya-styled chedi on a high platform with niched entries. The access is to the east and the river.
Historical data about the predecessor Wat Jin and its construction are unknown.
A relief depicting Buddha's great miracles dating back to the first half of the 8th century in the Dvaravati art was excavated in situ. The sandstone relief, 127 cm high by 85 cm wide, is displayed at the Bangkok National Museum.
