Wat Dao Khanong: The Temple of Wanton Stars - Ayutthaya Thailand 2025

Wat Dao Khanong วัดดาวขันธง, translating to the “Monastery of the Wanton Stars,” is an active Buddhist temple situated north of Ayutthaya’s city island in the expansive Pho Sam Ton fields. It lies in the Pho Sam Ton sub-district of Bang Pahan district, Ayutthaya Province, Thailand. Positioned on the east bank of Khlong Muang and the north bank of Khlong Chang—both remnants of the ancient Lopburi River course—the temple stands opposite the ruins of Wat Pho Sam Ton.

The temple’s main vihara (assembly hall) enshrines the principal Buddha image, known as Luang Pho Tho Wat Pak Khlong, a large seated figure measuring 4 meters across the lap in the “Conquest of Mara” (Maravijaya) posture, symbolizing the Buddha’s triumph over temptation.

While the site maintains traditional elements, specific architectural details beyond this image are modest, reflecting its role as a living monastery rather than a grand ruin. The grounds blend active worship spaces with subtle historical markers, attracting local devotees for rituals and merit-making, though it remains lesser-known among international visitors.

Wat Dao Khanong’s origins are tied to the twilight of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, a period marked by political instability and Burmese incursions. Founded around 1757 (Ayutthaya Era 1199) during the reign of King Ekkathat (1743–1758), the temple began as Wat Pak Khlong, meaning “Monastery at the River Mouth,” highlighting its riverside location along the old Lopburi River channels.

It was established just a decade before the catastrophic Burmese sack of Ayutthaya in 1767, which devastated the capital but spared more peripheral sites like this one due to their distance from the fortified city island.

In 1764 CE (Ayutthaya Era 1206), seven years after its founding, the temple received its sima boundary stones, formalizing the sacred ordination hall (ubosot) through a consecration ceremony known as the “raising of the roof pinnacle” (phithi yak cho fa). During this event, an extraordinary celestial display unfolded: numerous stars illuminated the night sky with such brilliance that it resembled daylight.

This phenomenon inspired the renaming to Wat Dao Khanong, with “dao” signifying stars and “khanong” evoking their playful or wanton scattering. The temple’s tamnan (legendary history) preserves this account as a divine endorsement of the site.

Some scholars, like Edward Van Roy in his 2010 study on Mon refugees in Siam, propose an alternative etymology, suggesting “Dao Khanong” derives from “Dan Khanon,” referring to a nearby northern royal tax and customs post (dan phra khanon luang) approximately 300 meters south on Khlong Bang Khuat, near the defunct Wat Tha Yak. This post guarded trade routes along the old river, underscoring the area’s economic role in the kingdom. However, the temple’s own chronicles reject this, emphasizing the astronomical miracle.

Post-1767, as Ayutthaya transitioned into the Thonburi and early Rattanakosin periods, Wat Dao Khanong endured as a community anchor for Mon refugees and local Thai populations fleeing the Burmese devastation.

Its location near Khlong Chang—a canal linking old and new river segments—facilitated elephant drives to the nearby royal elephant kraal until the mid-20th century, when wooden barriers (sao thalung) were used to corral the animals.

Today, it stands as a quiet testament to late Ayutthaya resilience, integrated into the broader Ayutthaya Historical Park UNESCO World Heritage site, though its active status keeps it distinct from the more ruined monuments.

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