Wat Long

Wat Long is the brick foundation of what was once the largest stupa in the ancient city of Chaiya — a major Srivijaya-era trading centre on the Maritime Silk Road between the 8th and 13th centuries. The original structure, built around the 14th-15th Buddhist century (roughly the 9th-10th century CE), is estimated to have been about twice the size of the stupa still standing today at Wat Phra Borommathat Chaiya a short distance away — reason enough to picture the scale, even though almost nothing rises above ground level now. Entry is free, in Surat Thani province.

The surviving base is a cross-shaped (indented-corner) plan roughly 21.65 by 21.65 metres, built for a four-porch (chatumukh) shrine structure open on all sides — a footprint that archaeologists read as evidence of the stupa’s original scale and status within the old city, sited between two other ancient temple grounds, Wat Wiang and Wat Kaew. One theory holds that “Wat Long” is a corruption of “Wat Luang” (royal temple), consistent with a monument this size, though it isn’t confirmed by any surviving inscription.

Fine Arts Department excavations (Regional Office 14) recovered Longquan-kiln ceramics from China’s Yuan dynasty, dated to around the 19th Buddhist century (roughly the 14th century CE), alongside Dvaravati-Khmer style Buddha moulds, celadon wares, Ming-Qing porcelain fragments, and Sukhothai ceramics — evidence the site stayed in active use for centuries after its Srivijaya-era founding, well into the Ayutthaya period. Today only the foundation remains: local accounts say the upper brickwork was taken apart at some point and reused in restoration work at Wat Phra Borommathat Chaiya, which is why that temple’s chedi still stands while Wat Long’s does not.

Watch out: This is a ground-plan site, not a photogenic ruin — there’s no standing tower, carved stonework, or shade structure, just a low brick outline in open ground. Set expectations accordingly; the interest here is historical and archaeological rather than visual.

Insider Tip: Visit Wat Long as a 10-minute add-on to Wat Phra Borommathat Chaiya rather than a standalone trip — the contrast between the two (one nearly vanished, one still a major pilgrimage site) says more about Chaiya’s Srivijaya-era history than either site alone.

Early morning or late afternoon keeps the heat manageable, since there’s minimal shade over the open foundation. The site is best reached with your own car or motorbike from central Surat Thani or Chaiya town — local transport runs nearby but not directly to the gate. Comfortable shoes handle the uneven ground fine; there isn’t much walking involved once you’re there, since the whole site is a single low brick footprint rather than a sprawling complex.