Petchburi's artistic fame is chiefly due to the murals in Wat Yai Suwannaram and Wat Ko Keo Sutharam. Thai murals typically date from the fall of Ayuthaya in 1767 until royal patronage ended about 1910. Ayuthaya Period murals were almost completely destroyed by the Burmese after the destruction of the capital; only Petchburi murals survive to illustrate early Thai painting.
Some of the best are in the small hot of Wat Yai Suwannaram. Gracing the interior of the lat eral walls and separated by distinct red trian gles are rows of 17th-century worshipping divinities that represent Indra, Brahma, and lesser divinities such as devas and yaksas. Those on the lower registers are chipping and desperately need attention, although the interior door murals are still in good condition. Despite the deterioration, these murals provide fascinating illustrations of naturalistic decorative art and in sight into the flora and fauna of 17th-century Thailand.
The adjacent wooden sala, supported by wooden pillars, is one of Thailand's few surviving examples of this genre. Also note the nearby haw trai, a Buddhist scriptural library filled with copies of the Tripitaka.