Wat Talapat is a restored temple ruin located on the city island within the Ayutthaya Historical Park in the Tha Wasukri Sub-district. The site is named Wat Phong by the Fine Arts Department, but based on a 19th-century map and Phraya Boran Rachathanin [PBR] map drafted in 1926 CE, this denomination is incorrect. The location of Wat Phong was south of Fire Road, the current path in Bueng Phra Ram Park, which leads to Wat Phra Ram. (1)
Wat Talapat is on the north side of Fire Road, south of Wat Nok and east of Wat Sangkha Pat on a small islet in Bueng Phra Ram. The site can only be accessed by a bridge.
The sanctuary aligns on an east-west axis and consists of a vihara, a main chedi and some satellite chedis.
The vihara was a rectangular construction of which only the reconstructed brick walls remained. Square pillars propped up the roof. The entry was in the east, but the remaining foundations in that area are a bit weird. Two entries gave access to what I presume is a gallery around the vihara. Notice the round pillars supporting the roof of the gallery.
The main chedi stood west of the vihara. The redented chedi is remarkable and has four niches in the cardinal directions provided with standing Buddha images. The square harmika is redented, and a constricted bell-shaped dome supports the umbrella. I have to admit that the builders of this chedi had quite a bit of imagination. The remaining stucco shows some unspecified images or mythological figures.
Wat Talapat is shown on a map drafted in the 19th century. The site is situated between Wat Nok in the north and Wat Chatthan in the south and in between the west bank of Khlong Pratu Khao Pluak and the Yi Khan marsh (present Bueng Phra Ram). Wat Phong stood in the southwest.
Phraya Boran Rachathanin draws in this location a small islet on his map of 1926 CE. In the map's legend, we can read that the place was not yet excavated at that time. Phraya Boran was the Superintendent Commissioner of Monthon Ayutthaya from 1925 till 1929 CE.
On the Fine Arts Department [FAD] maps of 1957 and 1974 CE, we find no traces of this location. On the FAD 1993 CE map, the site is shown but not named. Finally, on a 2007 FAD GIS map, we discover that the place has been called Wat Phong, which is incorrect, as Wat Phong was situated south of Fire Road.
The "Master Plan for Tourism Development of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya and the Neighbouring Provinces" mentions that in 1988 CE, there were only three temples left in Bueng Phra Ram all in poor condition, being: Wat Nok, Wat Song Pat (likely Wat Sangkha Pat) and Wat Langkha Dam. The ruin of Wat Phong at the site of Wat Talapat we see today is presumably completely reconstructed. [1]
The ruin is in geographical coordinates: 14° 21' 18.65" N, 100° 33' 58.65" E.
Footnotes:
(1) Fire Road was an ancient brick road mentioned on Bellin's map published in l'Abbé Prévost's "Histoire Générale des Voyages" of 1751 CE a map of Ayutthaya named “Plan de la Ville de Siam, Capitale du Royaume de ce Nom Levé par un Ingénieur Français en 1687”. The street started south of Wat Maha That and led from Khlong Pratu Khao Pluak straight towards Wat Phra Ram, the funeral site of the founder of Ayutthaya, King Ramathibodhi I (reign 1351-1369 CE).
