Wat Sop Sawan is an active monastery
located off the city island in the northern area of Ayutthaya in Pho Sam Ton Sub-district
of Bang Pahan in Ayutthaya Province.
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People living in the vicinity of the place of accident found her body about 1600 meters
downstream (which lead to the suggestion that the capsizing occurred at the
confluence of Khlong Thom or the Lam Lao, just south of Wat Khai). The palace
officials were informed and the corpse retrieved from the river. The funeral and cremation
of the late princess was done at the spot and a monastery was established as a memorial
on the cremation site. The temple was called Wat Sop Sawan Pak Nam (วัดศพสวรรค์
ปากน้ำ), but known locally as Wat Pak Nam Phra Sop ( ปากน้ำประสบ), Wat Pop
Sop (พบศพ) or Wat Pho Sop (โพสพ). The finder of the body of the deceased
princess, being part of a group of Lao immigrants, received the title of Phraya Thai Nam
(พระยาท้ายน้ำ - Downstream Lord) and the area was called Ban Lao thereafter.
During the Burmese attack on Ayutthaya in 1767, Ban Lao was vacated and the
monastery destroyed in the fight between Phraya Tak and the Mon-Burmese of Pho Sam
Ton camp. After the war, the Lao returned and rebuilt their temple.
During the reign of King Chulalongkorn, the villagers of Ban Muang ordered the
construction of an ordination hall. Chinese workers built the hall and instead of returning
home, they settled down near Wat Sing. The monastery flourished under the wealthy man
Nai Son until 1897 AD. After that date decay set in and the temple was left by the monk
hood in 1907 AD. As the community in the area grew, the temple was rebuilt in
1937 and called Wat Sop Sawan until today.