Prasat Wat Chao Chan

No evidence related to the establishing history. However, the building used laterite as the main material and can be compared to the chapels of King Jayavarman VII. Therefore, it is believed that Prasat Wat Chao Chan was built during the reign of King Jayavarman VII.

Laterite

It consists of the principle prasat in a square shape located in a center of a laterite wall in a rectangular diagram with a surface decorated with plaster. The bottom base is a set of inverted lotuses - supine lotus. There are four arches at the main building with only one entrance and one exit on the east side. The doors on the other sides are false doors. There is a room for enshrining idols at the front. Later in the Sukhothai period, this religious site had been transformed to a Buddhist temple instead by covering the surrounding area of the base that made the inverted lotuses- the supine lotus base submerged underground. A laterite viharn along with a laterite Mondop were then built in front of the prang prasat for enshrining Phra Athatharot in the north of the prang. Inside the Mondop, there are rough laterite shapes and a standing Buddha image with both hands attached to the body.

The wooden roof has already collapsed, only pieces of clay tiles scattering around. Later, Fine Arts Department discovered an amulet decorated as a king made of lead and tin. When digging deeper, artifacts from the Dvaravati period such as Hariphunchai wares, glass beads, and human skeleton were found.

This is the evidence of religious sites of the Khmer culture found in the northernmost that exists nowadays. It is also evidence of Mueang Si Satchanalai being under the stream of Khmer culture during the reign of King Jayavarman VII before becoming an important Mueang (city) in the Sukhothai Kingdom.

1. San Ta Pha Daeng, Sukhothai Historical Park

2. Wat Si Sawai, Sukhothai Historical Park

ทำเนียบโบราณสถานศรีสัชนาลัย. กรุงเทพฯ : กรมศิลปากร, 2535.

สุรเดช วิชิตจารุกุล. พัฒนาการเมืองเชลียง : การศึกษาจากหลักฐานเอกสารประวัติศาสตร์ และข้อมูลใหม่ทางโบราณคดี. สารนิพนธ์ (ศศ.บ. (โบราณคดี))มหาวิทยาลัยศิลปากร, 2537.

สุริยวุฒิ สุขสวัสดิ์, ม.ร.ว. บรรณาธิการ. ปราสาทหินและทับหลัง. กรุงเทพฯ : โครงสืบสานมรดกและวัฒนธรรมไทย, 2542.