This temple was built in B.E. 2250 (A.D. 1707) in the reign of King Boromkot, by Mon people. It was assumed that some Mon people who built this temple had been the mon people who took care of royal elephants some of which were King Naresuan’s elephants. After King Naresuan had victory over is enemy in the battle on elephants’ backs, those Mon people built this temple to commemorate this event. An important thing inside the temple  is the chapel which is a masonry and cement building that is 4 meters wide and 15 meters long, with wooden pillars and a wooden roof structure and tile roofs. There is a porch at the front, as the typical architectural style of Late Ayutthaya Period and Early Ratanakosin Era. The outer side of the walls at the front the chapel has the trace of mural paintings.

The frontal and inner walls of the chapel of Chang Yai Temple have mural paintings drawn with powder paint on marl foundation. The mural at the back of the principal Buddha image depicts the story of Lord Buddha’s life when he subdued demons. The mural on the wall facing the principal Buddha image depicts the three worlds in Buddhist belief. The mural on the upper part of side walls depict the congregation of angles and the one on the lower part of side walls between windows depicts the ten former lives of Lord Buddha. These murals are hypothesized to be drawn in Late AYutthaya Era, in the reign of King Boromkot, from B.E. 2275 to B.E. 2301 (A.D. 1732 – A.D. 1758). Later, some of the mural paintings were restored in Early Ratanakosin Period around B.E. 2356 (A.D. 1813).

Side Pagoda

This pagoda is located in the north of the chapel. It is a masonry and concrete pagoda that is in ‘Song Khrueang’ Style (with decorations) on a base with step-reduced corners. It might have been built together with the temple.

Monument of Chao Phraya Prap Hongsawadi

The original name of the elephant of King Naresuan was Chao Phraya Chaiyanuphap. During the battle on elephants’ backs in B.E. 2135 (A.D. 1592), Chao Phraya Chaiyanuphap played vital roles in enabling King Naresuan to conquer over the Heir Apparent of Burma. Thus, Chao Phraya Chaiyanuphap was regarded to have done great things to Siam; thus, King Naresuan gave him new name and title to be ‘Chao Phraya Prap Hongsawadi’.