Sukhothai Travel Guide
Discover the ‘Dawn of Happiness’
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Founded in the 13th century Sukhothai, which translated as ‘Dawn of Happiness’, is deemed to be the first truly independent Thai Kingdom. Its golden age came under the reign of King Ramkhamhaeng who is credited with creating the Thai alphabet. As with Ayutthaya to the south the superb temples and monuments of this once-great city have been lovingly restored into Sukhothai Historical Park, rightly designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a must-see for all travellers.
Sukhothai was the first kingdom of the Thais in this peninsula, established by the two princes Pho Khun Pha Muang and Pho Khun Bang Klang Hao who combined to drive the Khmers out of Sukhothai, a major frontier post of the Khmer Empire; they established it as their capital in 1238. Pho Khun Ramkhamhaeng, eventually ascended the throne in 1278 and reigned for forty years and is considered Thailand's first great king.
This far sighted leader promoted religion and culture, and through his efforts the inspirational faith of the Thai people gave birth to classic forms of Thai religious arts. Images of the Lord Buddha sculptured during the Sukhothai Era are cultural treasures which impart a feeling of peace and serenity.
Attractions in Sukhothai
Located around 12km from today’s modern town of Sukhothai the Historical Park comprises the ruins of the royal palaces, Buddhist temples, the city gates, walls, moats, dams, ditches, ponds, stupas and canals both within and outside the ancient city walls.
The park is vast and there are many individual attractions inside the Park which is split into 5 different Zones. Key attractions include Wat Mahathat, the King Ramkhamhaeng Monument and the Ramkhamhaeng National Museum amongst others – see Local Attractions.
Activities in Sukhothai
You’ll need around 2 days to do the site and surrounding area justice. Explore by bicycle – one of the highlights of a visit. A guide will help give you an understanding of the general history of the but you won’t need them all day every day – maybe just for an introduction to Sukhothai; one of the nice things is riding out to the outlying sites and discovering lonely stupas and temples and forgotten bas-reliefs for yourself. Visit early in the morning or late evening for atmospheric back-lighting of the stupas. Loi Krathong Festival each November is a good time to visit Sukhothai (even those prices rocket).
Relaxing
Enjoy an evening in the midst of the ancient ruins as the sun goes down, then head to one of the town’s many restaurants.
Getting Around
On foot and by bike – a key aspect of a visit to Sukhothai.
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