TRACING RENOVATIONS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF PRINCE THAMMATHIBET : Checking the Royal Annals and Arts

Abstract

After Prince Thammathibet, the son of King Boromakot, was established as the heir apparent or crown prince to the throne of the Ayutthaya Kingdom in BE 2284, he was commanded to restore many structures that were in need of repairs. However, details vary in different royal annals.

The consistent historical records can allow us to conclude that he oversaw the restoration of Wat Phra Sisanphet and Viharn Somdej Throne Hall, although his role in the restoration of Wat Phra Rama is inconclusive. In addition, some annals indicate that Prince Thammathibet was assigned to the restoration of Phra Mongkolbophit, also the viharn. But some other annals state that those structures were restored in another reign.

The researcher chose to examine the various stages of late period Ayutthaya art and match them with the historical records, leading to the conclusion that the restorations occurred circa this period. Even though there are some places that could not be identified as being renovated under the supervision of Prince Thammathibet, the artwork could be classified in the late period of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. As a result, we can conclude the restoration took place at that time, even if it is not in the historical records.