Wat Pradu Songtham

Wat Pradu Songtham, is located off the city island in the northeastern part of Ayutthaya, in a part of the city earlier known as Ayothaya. The area of Ayothya was probably already populated at the end of the Dvaravati era (6th to 11th centuries). There is evidence that a community settled in this area much earlier than 1351 CE, the date of establishment of the city of Ayutthaya. Sources mention that during the reign of Suryavarman I (1002-1050 CE) of Angkor, the Khmers occupied the area and established a stronghold here as an appendage of Lopburi, naming it Ayothya after the ancient and one of the holiest Hindu cities of India, the old capital of Awadh, in the Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh.

Wat Pradu Songtham was established on the site of Wat Rong Tham (defunct), which stood on the south bank of Khlong Wat Pradu. Wat Pradu (defunct) stood north of the canal, opposite Wat Rong Tham. The names of Wat Pradu and Wat Rong Tham merged, and the site of the last was renamed Wat Pradu Song Tham. The monastery is on a small road leading to the Wat Pradu Songtham School and running west between Wat Kudi Dao and Wat Jakkrawan.

Khlong Wat Pradu was probably partially filled up when the new monastery Wat Pradu Songtham was established in 1862 CE. We can trace back Khlong Wat Pradu on the aerial pictures of the Williams-Hunt Aerial Photos Collection until the canal suddenly stops when reaching Wat Pradu Songtham. On a ground plan of Wat Pradu Songtham drawn by Lt Col Jarun Phowetchakun and dated 16 March 2000 CE, we read north of the outer wall 'Lam Rang', which must have been Khlong Wat Pradu. The above led me to conclude that Wat Pradu Songtham was built on the old site of Wat Rong Tham.

Ayutthaya Historical Research