Pom Pratu Khao Plueak

Pom Pratu Khao Plueak was a fort at the Pratu Khao Plueak, or the Gate of Unhusked Rice, a water gate. The construction of the bastion was in the form of an open book located on both sides of the canal. This fort was one of the many forts of the city of which Pom Phet, or the ‘Diamond Fort’ in the Bang Kraja area at the confluence of the present Chao Phraya and Pa Sak Rivers, was the largest and most important.

The wall had arched entry doors permitting pedestrian access to the city. Just behind the fort stood Wat Ratcha Praditsathan and Wat Tha Sai, located respectively on the west and east banks of Khlong Pratu Khao Plueak. A stretch of water that was once part of Khlong Pratu Khao Plueak can be found on the premises of Wat Ratcha Praditsathan.

The crenulations on top of the fort, providing cover for soldiers manning the wall, are still present and probably designed by Father Tomasa Valguarnera, a Jesuit priest from Sicily.

Ayutthaya Historical Research