Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
al design of the once-great city. The slightly higher hill west of Phanom Phloeng is
capped by a large Sukhothai-style
chedi
- all that remains of Wat Khao Suwan
Khiri.
WAT CHEDI JET THAEW
Next to Wat Chang Lom, these ruins contain seven rows of
chedi,
the largest of
which is a copy of one at Wat Mahathat in Sukhothai. An interesting brick-and-
plaster
wí·hăhn
features barred windows designed to look like lathed wood (an an-
cient Indian technique used all over southeast Asia). A
prasat
(small ornate building
with a cruciform ground plan and needlelike spire) and
chedi
are stacked on the
roof.
Temple
WAT NANG PHAYA
South of Wat Chedi Jet Thaew, this
chedi
is Sinhalese in style and was built in the
15th or 16th century, a bit later than the other monuments at Si Satchanalai. Stucco
reliefs on the large laterite
wí·hăhn
in front of the
chedi
- now sheltered by a tin roof
- date from the Ayuthaya period when Si Satchanalai was known as Sawankhalok.
Goldsmiths in the district still craft a design known as
nahng pá·yah,
modelled after
these reliefs.
Temple
Chaliang
This older site, a short bike ride from Si Satchanalai, has two temples of note. Ad-
mission isn't always collected at Wat Chao Chan.
WAT PHRA SI RATANA MAHATHAT
( admission 20B; 8am-5pm)
These ruins consist of a large laterite
chedi
(dating
back to 1448-88) between two
wí·hăhn
. One of the
wí·hăhn
holds a large seated
Sukhothai Buddha image, a smaller standing image and a bas-relief of the famous
walking Buddha, exemplary of the flowing, boneless Sukhothai style. The other
wí·hăhn
contains some less distinguished images.
Temple
