The town is intersected by many canals, and houseboats and shop boats crowd the water. Pagodas and impressive spires abound. The Wat Phra Si Sanphet, a monastery on the grounds of the so-called Wang Luang , served as the royal chapel and once contained an image of the Buddha covered in some 170 kg of gold. Other palaces in Ayutthaya are the Chantharakasem