The historical park’s central zone is home to Wat Phra Kaew, the area’s largest complex that once served as a royal temple. According to an ancient text, the Thai civilisation’s most treasured Buddha image — the Emerald Buddha now housed in Bangkok’s Wat Phra Kaew — was once kept here.
While the Emerald Buddha has long since moved on, a handful of elephant statues carved in distinctive Sukhothai style remain in excellent condition at Wat Phra Kaew. Further to the rear of the complex, a trio of photogenic Buddha images — two seated and one reclining — are thought to have been added during the Ayutthaya period.