Uthumphon Maha Thammarachathirat III or Uthumphon Mahaphon Phinit was the 32nd and penultimate monarch of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, ruling in 1758 for about three months. Facing various throne claimants, Uthumphon was finally forced to abdicate and enter monkhood. His preference of being a monk rather than keeping the throne earned him the epithet "Khun Luang Ha Wat", or "the king who lives in the temple".
A Burmese depiction of an Ayutthaya king, either depicting Uthumphon or Ekkathat, British Library, London
Utumphon's tomb pagoda in Amarapura Township, Myanmar. Whether it did belong to Uthumphon still remains debatable.
The Ayutthaya Kingdom or the Empire of Ayutthaya was a Mon and later Siamese kingdom that existed in Southeast Asia from 1351 to 1767, centered around the city of Ayutthaya, in Siam, or present-day Thailand. European travellers in the early 16th century called Ayutthaya one of the three great powers of Asia. The Ayutthaya Kingdom is considered to be the precursor of modern Thailand, and its developments are an important part of the history of Thailand.
Three pagodas of Wat Phra Si Sanphet which house the remains of King Borommatrailokkanat, Borommarachathirat III, and Ramathibodi II
Wat Phra Phutthabat, Saraburi, constructed by King Songtham as a royal pilgrimage site
Wat Chaiwatthanaram, constructed by King Prasat Thong during the Age of Peace and Commerce (1600–1688)
Painting by Johannes Vingboons of Ayutthaya, c. 1665.