Phetchaburi

Phetchaburi stands on a river near the western shore of the Gulf of Siam, where the lowlands meet the hills of the Malay Peninsula. Earlier known as Phrip Phri, it was an important coastal centre before the rise of Ayutthaya. A fortified town, temples and access to routes across the peninsula made it a significant southern centre of the Siamese kingdom.

Under Ayutthaya, Phetchaburi served as an administrative town and a home to skilled artists. Wat Ko Kaeo Suttharam, founded in the seventeenth century, received murals in 1734 during the reign of King Borommakot. After Burmese forces captured Ayutthaya in 1767, people fleeing the capital came to Phetchaburi, bringing with them traditions of the fallen court. Its temples preserve a rich record of the Buddhist art and craftsmanship of the period.