Wat Sam Jin

Wat Sam Jin, or the Monastery of the Three Chinese, (1) is located on Ayutthaya's city island in the Pratu Chai Sub-district in the vicinity of the Chinese Water Gate (defunct) and between Khlong Pratu Jin (defunct) and Khlong Makham Riang. The ruin stands between Rojana Road and the southern portion of U Thong Road on a small, unnamed side alley of U Thong Soi 12. The maps of Engelbert Kaempfer and Phraya Boran Racha Thanin indicate a waterway linking the two canals mentioned above and passing Wat Sam Jin on the south side.

Wat Sam Jin stood in the main Chinese commercial area situated in the southeast, behind the harbour, where the main thoroughfare was called Chinese Street, the canal named the Chinese Gate Canal, and the city gate called the Chinese Gate. The old documents state that the Chinese market stretched over half a kilometre along Chinese Street, lined with “Chinese brick shops on both sides” selling “all kinds of goods from China, including food and fruit”. Thai and Chinese sit at shops selling goods from the junks, such as brassware, white gold, tiles, pots, bowls, Chinese silk of various colours, silk of various colours, and metal tools. All kinds of goods from China, including food and fruit, are displayed for sale in shops in the market. This market has expanded east and merged with the Three Horses Market behind the Diamond Fort. It was the sole Chinese market area in the city as the rest of them were off the island.

Ayutthaya Historical Research