Wat Phutthaisawan has its origins rooted in legend, where it is said to have been established by King Ramathibodi I (King Uthong) at the site that served as his royal residence before the founding of Ayutthaya as the capital. Following the establishment of the city, in 1896, the king ordered the construction of this temple as a royal memorial in the district where he had originally settled. Subsequent monarchs also contributed to the creation of various permanent structures within the temple complex. Remarkably, when Ayutthaya fell in 1767, Wat Phutthaisawan was one of the few temples that remained intact, unlike many others that were destroyed. Today, visitors can still admire numerous ancient relics at the temple, including the large prang (spire), the ubosot (ordination hall), the vihara, and the reclining Buddha hall, all of which date back to the time when Ayutthaya thrived. The walls of the former residence of King Uthong are adorned with exquisite paintings depicting the Ten Birth Stories of the Buddha and the legend of Phra Maha Buddhakhot, who worshipped a Buddha statue in Lanka. Although these artworks were beautifully crafted, they have unfortunately faded significantly over time. At the base of the grand prang resides a statue of King Uthong. This statue was originally sculpted as a deity during the reign of King Rama I. In 1784, Prince Tepphanaphak, then in charge of the Royal Elephant Bureau, had an audience with King Rama I, reporting on the need for repairs at the royal residence in Ayutthaya. The king subsequently ordered the statue to be transported to Bangkok, where it was recast into a seated Buddha statue that was lavishly covered in silver and placed in the Hall of Phra Thep Bhirom. Today’s statue, referred to as King Uthong, is a newly cast replacement of the original standing Buddha that once stood at the base of the prang. The temple underwent restorations of the prang pinnacle during the reign of King Rama V in 1898, further preserving its historical significance.