Wat Sop Sawan: The Temple of a Royal Funeral That May Be Where King Naresuan Was Cremated
Wat Sop Sawan, whose name is spelled in more than one way in Thai, once stood on the west side of Ayutthaya's city island, near Queen Suriyothai Chedi. The chronicles say the temple was founded after Queen Suriyothai's funeral, and one old document even states that King Naresuan was cremated here. Today nothing of the temple remains to be seen, but its name sits at the centre of one of the great debates of Ayutthaya history.
This place through the eras
This temple does not exist yet. The spot is riverside land on the west side of the city island, near where the old course of the Lopburi River met the Chao Phraya River.
After the war of 1548, King Maha Chakkraphat had Queen Suriyothai, Naresuan's grandmother, cremated at the Royal Garden (Suan Luang) and founded a temple there named Sop Sawan. About 57 years later, when Naresuan died (1605), the Testimony of Khun Luang Ha Wat says he was cremated at Wat Sop Sawan, but other chronicles do not name the temple, and Wat Worachettharam on the island and Wat Worachet outside the island have also been proposed.
Kaempfer's map (surveyed in 1690) and French maps of the mid-18th century still show this temple. The area lay close to the Royal Garden and the Rear Palace (Wang Lang), a quarter of royal residences.
In the war of 1760, the chronicles say the temple served as a stronghold where cannon were mounted to return fire on the Burmese army across the river. When the city fell in 1767, the temple was abandoned.
No ruins of the temple remain. In the Bangkok (Rattanakosin) period the area became a military camp; provincial tourism information says the chedis on this side were demolished in 1906. The temple's boundary stones are on display at the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum, while nearby Queen Suriyothai Chedi still stands tall.
A name that speaks of a royal funeral
The temple's name is written in several ways in documents from different periods, all read roughly as "Sop Sawan". Its meaning is linked to the funeral of royalty who have ascended to heaven. Richard Cushman, who translated the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya into English, also rendered the name with a meaning along the lines of "the temple of the royal remains in heaven".
The temple stood on the west side of the city island, beside the old course of the Lopburi River, which is today the Chao Phraya River. Old maps show Wat Sop Sawan north of a canal, and Wat Suan Luang, with Queen Suriyothai Chedi, south of it. That canal has since been filled in and turned into a small road.
The Fine Arts Department refers to the whole area as Wat Suan Luang Sop Sawan, while some scholars believe there were originally two separate temples. When reading different documents, it is therefore always worth checking the location as well.
The temple's origin: Queen Suriyothai's funeral
In 1548 Queen Suriyothai was killed on elephant-back during the war against the army of King Tabinshwehti. The royal chronicles say her body was brought to the Royal Garden (Suan Luang), and when the war was over, King Maha Chakkraphat had her cremated, then built a stupa and a wihan (assembly hall) on the spot and named it Wat Sop Sawan.
Queen Suriyothai was King Naresuan's grandmother, so Wat Sop Sawan began with the funeral of a close member of his royal family. The story of that war is told on the Queen Suriyothai Chedi page.
One of the places where King Naresuan may have been cremated
King Naresuan died on 25 April 1605 at Mueang Hang. King Ekathotsarot brought his body back to Ayutthaya to be cremated, and the royal chronicles say he built a monastery, but they do not name the temple. Historians have therefore proposed at least three possible temples: Wat Worachettharam on the island, Wat Worachet Thep Bamrung (Wat Worachet outside the island), and Wat Sop Sawan.
The evidence for Wat Sop Sawan is a document known as the Testimony of Khun Luang Ha Wat (Khamhaikan Khun Luang Ha Wat). An article in Silpa Wattanatham magazine, drawing on research by Kamphon Champaphan, points out that this is the only document that names Wat Sop Sawan as the cremation site, and that some manuscript copies carry a marginal note linking this name to the alternative spelling of Wat Sop Sawan.
Another argument in its favour is the older Ayutthaya custom: before King Prasat Thong's reign, royal cremations were usually held within the city, and this area had already been used for a royal cremation in King Maha Chakkraphat's reign.
The main counter-argument concerns the size of the site. The same article considers that the royal funeral as the chronicles describe it drew large numbers of monks and people, so this riverside area, like Wat Worachettharam on the island, was probably too cramped. It sees Wat Worachet Thep Bamrung, out in the open fields, as more plausible in this respect, while accepting that the custom of holding cremations within the city makes it hard to reach a conclusion.
The most honest conclusion for now is that there is no decisive evidence. Wat Sop Sawan is named directly in a document, but that document was compiled after the fall of Ayutthaya and is the only one to do so.
Wat Sop Sawan through the eras
Although nothing remains of it today, this spot on the map has a story in almost every era.
- Founding of the capital (1351–1488): This temple does not exist yet. The spot is riverside land on the west side of the city island, near where the old course of the Lopburi River met the Chao Phraya River.
- Naresuan's era (1548–1605): The temple was founded after Queen Suriyothai's funeral in 1548, and according to the Testimony of Khun Luang Ha Wat, this is where King Naresuan was cremated in 1605.
- King Narai's era (1656–1688): Kaempfer's map and later French maps still show this temple. The area lay close to the Royal Garden and the Rear Palace.
- Fall of Ayutthaya (1767): In the war of 1760, the temple served as a stronghold where cannon were mounted to return fire on the Burmese army, and it was abandoned after the city fell.
- Today: No remains of the temple; the site is a military area. Only Queen Suriyothai Chedi, on the Royal Garden side, can still be seen.
What is left to see today
The temple itself is gone. When the area was turned into a military camp in the Bangkok (Rattanakosin) period, its buildings and chedis were demolished. Provincial tourism information says the chedis on this side were pulled down in 1906 to make room for government buildings and a military camp, while ayutthaya-history.com suggests that the temple probably stood around the lawn in front of the military camp.
What still links us to the temple are its boundary stones on display at the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum and a memorial beside U Thong Road commemorating this area. Just to the south is Queen Suriyothai Chedi, which underwent a major restoration in 1990.
Getting there and visiting
The site of the old temple is within a military area, so visitors should not enter restricted zones. The easiest way to visit is to see Queen Suriyothai Chedi from the park beside U Thong Road and picture Wat Sop Sawan standing a little further north.
To see the whole debate over the cremation site, go on to Wat Worachettharam on the island, which is not far away, then cross the river to Wat Worachet Thep Bamrung in the middle of Thung Prachet (Prachet Field). You will clearly see how different the three locations are.
Where historians still disagree
- Where King Naresuan was cremated: the Testimony of Khun Luang Ha Wat names Wat Sop Sawan, and supporters also point to the custom of holding royal cremations within the city before King Prasat Thong's reign. Those who disagree argue that the site was too cramped for the great ceremony the chronicles describe, and that other chronicles do not name the temple. The other two temples proposed are Wat Worachettharam on the island and Wat Worachet Thep Bamrung outside the island.
- One temple or two: the Fine Arts Department calls the area Wat Suan Luang Sop Sawan, but old maps show Wat Sop Sawan and Wat Suan Luang on opposite sides of a canal.
- A namesake: in Bang Pahan district there is another Wat Sop Sawan (originally Wat Sop Sawan Pak Nam), with a legend about the funeral of royal ladies whose boat capsized. It is a different temple from the one on the city island.
Visiting information
- The site of the old temple is in a military area: do not enter restricted zones or photograph military units.
- Visit together with Queen Suriyothai Chedi, seen from the park beside U Thong Road.
- To see the temple's boundary stones, stop by the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Wat Sop Sawan?
It once stood on the west side of Ayutthaya's city island, north of Queen Suriyothai Chedi. No remains of the temple are left today, and the site is in a military area.
Was King Naresuan really cremated at Wat Sop Sawan?
This has not been settled. The Testimony of Khun Luang Ha Wat names this temple, but other chronicles do not, and Wat Worachettharam on the island and Wat Worachet Thep Bamrung outside the island have also been proposed.
What is the difference between Wat Sop Sawan and Wat Suan Luang Sop Sawan?
The Fine Arts Department calls the whole area Wat Suan Luang Sop Sawan, but old maps show two temples on opposite sides of a canal: Wat Sop Sawan to the north, and Wat Suan Luang, with Queen Suriyothai Chedi, to the south.
- Where Was King Naresuan the Great Cremated? - Silpa Wattanatham (in Thai)
- Searching for the Site of King Naresuan the Great's Cremation and the Resting Place of His Ashes - Silpa Wattanatham (in Thai)
- WAT SOP SAWAN - Ayutthaya Historical Research
- WAT SOP SAWAN (Wat Sop Sawan) - Ayutthaya Historical Research
- Suan Luang Sop Sawan Temple - Go Ayutthaya
- WAT SOP SAWAN (2) - Ayutthaya Historical Research
Last updated 10 November 2026