A visit here with Benji and friends in August 2006. Wat Phra Si Sanphet was a residential palace and monastery but was ransacked in 1767 by the Burmese. The remaining ruins are extraorinarily impressive. Little was left of the grand palace except for a few walls.The giant Buddha (Pra Mangkhon Bophit) is made of brick and covered with bronze and gilt, and dates from the 16th century. Originally located outdoors it was badly damaged in the sacking of Ayutthaya by the Burmese in 1767. It has since been restored. It is gigantic and would have looked phenomenal when housed outdoors. The pictures in the beginning are from the market at the entrance to the Wat.