Wat Phra Phai Luang, Sukhothai Historical Park, Sukhothai

Wat Phra Phai Luang, Sukhothai Historical Park, Sukhothai Wat Phra Phai Luang lies about one kilometer north of Sukhothai. The ditch surrounded it is known by the name of Lam Mae Chern. The principal monument here is a three-tower prang though only the north tower remains infact, the middle and south towers having only the lower section left. The prang is in the Khmer Bayon style of King Jayavaraman VII for the remaining tower has four porches, though only one yields access to the prang inside, the other three bring only facades. The stucco work over the doorways are particularly fine. In front of the prang is the foundation of a vihan with laterite pillar still standing, probably an addition of the Sukhothai period. Further on in the ruin of a stupa with niches on all four sides, but the Buddha images inside are all damaged. The stupa must have been built during the early Sukhothai period for the Buddha images still bear traces of Chiang Saen as well as of Sukhothai. A gallery round the stupa. On the other side of the gallery lies a mondop of bricks, containing large Buddha images in stucco. The area around is crowded with small stupas of various styles. The assortment of construction here rather suggests that the place had been at one time a Hindu shrine and that after the Thai overthrown the Khmer power, built a larger town at another site.