Wat Pho Kao Ton (Wat Mai Daeng)

Wat Pho Kao Ton was the fortified base of the Bang Rachan villagers during their stand against the invading Burmese army in 1765-66, in the months before Ayutthaya itself fell in 1767. It’s in Sing Buri province — not Ayutthaya — in what’s now called Khai Bang Rachan district, named for the camp itself. Entry is free, daily 08:00-18:00.

The monk Phra Achan Thammachot, known to Thais as Luang Pu Thammacho, chose this spot deliberately: raised ground with streams running past from west to east and north to south, giving the villagers both a water supply and a natural line of defence as they held out against repeated Burmese assaults. The temple’s other name, Wat Mai Daeng, comes from the mai daeng trees — a native hardwood — that grow on the grounds, not from any restoration effort as is sometimes claimed online.

A shrine inside houses an image of Luang Pu Thammacho, still revered across Sing Buri as the spiritual figure who held the defenders together through the siege. The temple complex — including its historic structures — has been a registered Fine Arts Department monument since 1955, which is part of why it’s kept in better condition than its modest size might suggest.

Insider Tip: Visit alongside the Khai Bang Rachan monument and park directly opposite — the temple gives you the spiritual and defensive-geography side of the story, the park and monument give you the memorial and museum side. Seeing both takes under two hours and tells the full story in a way neither does alone.

Watch out: Don’t confuse this with an Ayutthaya-park attraction — it’s a separate historical episode in a separate province, about an hour’s drive north of Ayutthaya’s ruins, so don’t try to combine it with an Ayutthaya day trip unless you’ve budgeted the extra travel time.

Dress modestly — covered shoulders and knees — and remove shoes before entering any building, as with any working Thai temple. Early morning is quietest, when local worshippers come to pay respects at the Luang Pu Thammacho shrine before the day’s heat sets in.

Pair it with the Heroes of Khai Bang Rachan Monument and Park right across the road, and the Burmese Camp Ditch nearby for the siege’s other side. See Sing Buri for the rest of the province.