This Golden Buddha, also known as Luang Phor Thong Kham (Golden Father Bikku) is considered to have been commissioned either by King Borom Trai Lokanat, the Eighth King of Ayutthaya (1448-1488) or King Rama II (1491-1529).
Throughout its history Ayuthaya had been subject to numerous invasions and attacks from its neighbours including Cambodia, Lanchang (Laos), Lanna (which is now the North of Thailand),  Pattani, (now the south of Thailand) and above all Burma. In 1568, Ayutthaya fell under the control of invaders for a period of 15 years. During these later periods of conflict the Rulers spent most of their time on the politics of defense and had little time for arts and cultural pursuits.

Later Ayutthaya returned to peace but the style of art had changed, during this era the Buddha images are often seen with a lot of ornamentation and are distinctly different from the Buddha of the Sukothai and Ayutthaya periods.

The First House of the Golden Buddha

The Golden Buddha of Saraburi appears to have been first housed at Wat Phra Sri San Phet, the only royal temple located in grand palace compound at Ayutthaya.

This appears to be confirmed in a report from the 'Journal of a Voyage to Siam' by the French Abbe de Choisy and Chevalier de Chaumont; the first French ambassador to Ayutthaya during the period of King Narai in 1685. de Choisy and de Chaumont describe the royal chapel where they saw many golden Buddha including Phra Sri san Phet, the palladium Buddha of Ayutthaya.

Abbe de Choisy reports that “…as we walked in to the royal temple... there is a very beautiful altar that has 3 golden Buddha on the top. The size of the Buddha is about human size in the sitting position as Thai people usually sit. The Buddha is decorated with diamond in his forehead and hand.”      “… the center of the temple is quite narrow and dark... and at the end of the hall we saw the Big Buddha coated with 3 inches of gold measuring 42 feet in height and 13-14 feet across the lap. Someone said that the weight of the gold is around 12,400,000 pounds”.  “…we also saw other golden Buddha in the royal temple with the size of 16-17 feet in height. Most of the Buddha wear jewelry at the forehead and finger. “The Biggest Buddha has the same name as the temple (Phra Srisan Phet). Some of the Buddha are only 2 feet high but made of gold and copper (copper alloy). They are shiny more than the one made of pure gold.” From this account, it is clear that there were many golden Buddha in Wat Phra Srisan Phet, and this likely included the Golden Buddha of Wat Phayao, Saraburi.

Wat Phra Sri San Phet was the most important temple in the Ayutthaya period. The temple was first built in the reign of King Boromtrilokanath and had been used as a residential palace from the time of King Ramathibodi I (Phra Chao U – Thong). In 1448, during the reign of King Borom Trai Lokanath, it was dedicated as the royal chapel. The monastery had  three pagodas in which the ashes of three Kings – King Borom Trai Lokanath, King Borom Rachathirat III and King Ramathibodi II, were enshrined.

The Golden Buddha @ Wat Phra Yao

The Golden Buddha’s Appearance

The Golden Buddha moves out of the Royal Ayutthaya Compound