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Where Was King Naresuan Cremated? The Evidence and the Debate
After King Naresuan died at Mueang Hang in 1605, King Ekathotsarot brought his body back to Ayutthaya and held a magnificent royal funeral. Yet to this day no one can say for certain where he was cremated, because the chronicles do not state the location directly.
What each version says
| Sources | What it says (summary) |
|---|---|
| Luang Prasoet Chronicle | No record, because the surviving manuscript ends in CS 966, before the year of Naresuan's death. |
| Somdet Phra Phonnarat version (Bradley's printed text) | Says a royal cremation pavilion 17 wa high was built and many monks were invited, and that in that year the king built the Phra Worachettharam Maha Wihan, with a great chedi enshrining relics of the Buddha, forest-dwelling monks and a complete Tripitaka. It does not give the temple's location or say that it was built on the cremation site. |
| Fine Arts Department signs today | Signs with similar wording at both Wat Worachettharam on the island and Wat Worachet outside the island say that King Ekathotsarot built the temple in 1605 and dedicated it to King Naresuan. |
| Local Shan (Tai Yai) belief | Holds that he was cremated in Shan territory and that his remains are enshrined in a chedi at Mueang Ton (Mong Ton) in southern Shan State, unlike the Thai chronicles, which say his body was brought back to Ayutthaya. |
What the chronicles tell us
The Luang Prasoet Chronicle, the oldest version, ends before the year of Naresuan's death, so it has nothing on this. The text printed by Bradley, which belongs to the same line as the Somdet Phra Phonnarat version, says that King Ekathotsarot had preparations made to receive the royal body back into the capital, had a royal cremation pavilion (phra meru mat) built 17 wa (roughly 34 metres) high, and invited a great many monks to the funeral.
The same text says that in that year he built the Phra Worachettharam Maha Wihan, with a great chedi enshrining relics of the Buddha, invited forest-dwelling (aranyawasi) monks to live there, and had a complete set of the Tripitaka made, together with a scripture library. But it does not say where this temple was, nor that it was built on the cremation site.
The problem: two temples with similar names
Ayutthaya has two temples whose names include Worachet: Wat Worachettharam on the city island, west of the Ancient Royal Palace, and Wat Worachet outside the island, also called Wat Worachet Thep Bamrung, to the west beyond the city island. The Fine Arts Department has put up signs with similar wording at both temples, saying that King Ekathotsarot built it in 1605 and dedicated it to King Naresuan.
Besides these two temples, Wat Sop Sawan (whose name also appears in an alternative Thai spelling) has been proposed as another candidate. To date, no inscription or archaeological evidence has been found that clearly shows which of them was the cremation site.
The case for the temple on the island
Those who favour Wat Worachettharam on the island argue that it is close to the Ancient Royal Palace; that at that time there was not yet a Sanam Na Chakkrawat, the ground used for royal cremations in later periods; and that earlier Ayutthaya kings often built temples on cremation sites, as with Wat Phra Ram and Wat Ratchaburana.
Another argument is that the chronicles mention the fields of Wat Worachet outside the city as early as the war of 1563–1564. This shows that the temple outside the island already existed about 40 years before Naresuan's death, so it is unlikely to be the temple newly built in 1605.
The case for the temple outside the island
Those who favour Wat Worachet outside the island point out that the chronicles describe the temple as one for forest-dwelling monks, which suits a quiet site outside the city, and that the temple outside the island is larger and more imposing, as befits a temple a king built and dedicated to his elder brother.
Where the royal ashes were enshrined must also be kept separate from where the cremation took place. Some researchers think the ashes of Ayutthaya kings were usually enshrined at Wat Phra Si Sanphet, so a newly built temple may have been the cremation site, or a temple built to make merit for the late king, rather than the place where his ashes were enshrined.
What the Shan people believe
Outside Ayutthaya, many Shan (Tai Yai) people believe that Naresuan was cremated in their own land and that his remains are enshrined in a chedi at Mueang Ton (Mong Ton), in the south of Shan State.
This belief differs from the Thai chronicles, which say the royal body was brought back to Ayutthaya, so it is best treated as a local memory well worth studying rather than as the final answer to the question.
See for yourself
If you are interested, you can visit both Wat Worachettharam on the island and Wat Worachet outside the island in a single day. You will clearly see the differences in size and in the style of their chedis, and can then weigh each side's arguments for yourself. Both are historic sites as well as places of worship for people who revere King Naresuan, so dress modestly and do not climb on the ruins.
Where historians still disagree
- The cremation site: proposals include Wat Worachettharam on the island (close to the palace, and the temple outside the island already existed), Wat Worachet outside the island (larger, and suited to forest-dwelling monks) and Wat Sop Sawan. There is still no inscription that settles the question.
- The temple's name in the chronicles: the text printed by Bradley uses the name Phra Worachettharam Maha Wihan but gives no location, while the name Worachet has been applied to both the temple on the island and the one outside it in documents from different periods, so the two are easily confused.
- Where the royal ashes were enshrined: some believe they are in the chedi of Wat Worachettharam; some researchers think they were probably enshrined at Wat Phra Si Sanphet, as was the custom; and the Shan believe they are at Mueang Ton.
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Frequently asked questions
Was King Naresuan cremated at Wat Worachettharam?
There is no settled answer yet. Proposals include Wat Worachettharam on the island, Wat Worachet outside the island and Wat Sop Sawan, and the Fine Arts Department has put up signs with similar wording at both Worachet temples.
Do the chronicles name the temple built and dedicated to King Naresuan?
The text printed by Bradley says King Ekathotsarot built the Phra Worachettharam Maha Wihan, but it does not give its location or say that it was built on the cremation site.
Can I visit Wat Worachettharam and Wat Worachet outside the island in one day?
Yes. The temple on the island lies west of the Ancient Royal Palace, and the one outside the island lies to the west beyond the city island; it is easy to go from one to the other by car or by bicycle.
- The Detailed Royal Chronicles, Bradley edition (PongSawaML digital text dataset) (in Thai)
- Wat Worachettharam - Ayutthaya Historical Research
- Wat Worachet - Ayutthaya Historical Research
- Events in Ayuddhya from Chulasakaraj 686-966 (translation of the Luang Prasoet Chronicle) - O. Frankfurter, Journal of the Siam Society
- Naresuan - Wikipedia
Last updated 10 November 2026