Wat Khok Ma, also called Wat Rong Ma (1), is situated on Ayutthaya’s city island in Hua Ro Sub-district. The ruin stands at the end of a side alley in Soi 2 Naresuan Road, commonly known as ‘Farang Street’, near the parking exit of the Amphon Mall. The ruin stands on private land but can be seen from the fence.
The monastery is likely called after the vicinity where some of the horses of the Front Palace were kept. Engelbert Kaempfer, as well as Nicolas Bellin, describes the area as empty fields which could have been a grazing area for the horses.
There are not many remains of the monastery left. We can observe a brick structure containing a Buddha image on top and protected by a tin roof from the elements. A second undetermined structure is also found on the premises.
Maps
Wat Khok Ma figures on Kaempfer’s sketch. There was a small road leading to the temple from Pa Than Road (present Naresuan Road), more or less where today the access alley is to the Amphon Mall. The monastery also stood along a road connecting Khlong Makham Riang and the eastern city wall (more or less the side alleys from Soi 2 Naresuan Road. To the south, opposite the Pa Than Road, stood another temple.
On a map drafted in the mid-19th century by an unknown surveyor, the monastery is called Wat Rong Ma. The temple was located between Wat Jan and Khlong Pratu Ho Rattanachai and also situated between two roads the northern one longing the canal from Pratu Ho Rattana Chai towards the Chang Bridge (a road presently called Thanon Maphrao, and the southern one leading from Pratu Jao Jan to the Pa Than Bridge near Wat Maha That and Wat Ratcha Burana (a road presently called Naresuan Road). The mid-19th century map indicates no existence of a chedi nor a prang.
Also, Phraya Boran Ratchathanin called this monastery Wat Rong Ma on his map drafted in 1926 CE. Phraya Boran (1871-1936 CE) was the Superintendent Commissioner of Monthon Ayutthaya from 1925 till 1929 CE.
A 2007 GIS Fine Arts Department map indicates Wat Khok Ma in a location 90 metres north of the brick ruin in geographical coordinates 14° 21' 41.8" N, 100° 34' 41.3" E.
Wat Rong Ma is in geographical coordinates: 14° 21' 38.88" N, 100° 34' 42.26" E.
Footnotes:
(1) Respectively the Monastery of the Mound of Horses or the Monastery of the Horse Stable.
