Sukhothai

Things to see and do

The Ramkhamhaeng National Museum

Opened in 1964, this museum contains a collection of artefacts from the sites of Sukhothai, and is a good place to begin your tour. It is located to your left down the road before passing the park office.
Wat Mahathat

This is the most impressive ruin within the park and should not be missed. The large complex was once walled in and surrounded by a moat. The rambling enclosure containing almost 200 chedis has a large, lotus-bud chedi at its centre that was rebuilt by King Lo Thai in the mid-14th century to hold ... read more
Wat Sri Sawai

This is to the southwest of Wat Mahathat and would have originally been a Hindu shrine - see the carvings of both Vishnu and other Hindi deities -- before later being adapted as a Buddhist monument. To the casual onlooker this is one of the most
Wat Trapang Ngoen

This smaller site almost directly behind Wat Mahathat is particularly photogenic at sunrise with the hills in the background that supposedly look like a reclining Buddha. Trapang Ngoen means silver lake, a reference to the large pond before the monument. You can walk out onto the island in the ... read more
Wat Sra Sri

Located west of the King Ramkhamhaeng monument and situated on two connected islands, this wat is simple yet beautiful. It's popular with children who like to feed the fish in the ponds. A large walking Buddha in Sukhothai style dominates the site, along with one chedi in Sri Lankan style.
King Ramkhamhaeng Monument

To the north of Wat Mahathat, this large bronze statue is flanked by four bas relief sculptures recording the king's life and exploits. Not really worth getting off your bike for.
Wat Phra Phai Luang

This is thought to have been originally built by Khmers at the centre of a Khmer town, well before the Thais began to build here and is believed to be one of the oldest complexes in the park. Originally a Khmer Hindu shrine, this wat was second in importance to Wat Mahathat. Of the three original ... read more
Wat Sri Chum

This famous and much photographed wat is definitely worth a visit, but does cost another 30B. The impressive mondop houses a massive Buddha almost touching the ground with an incredibly tapered set of fingers. The image is 11m across the waist and the walls of the mondop are three metres thick. ... read more
Wat Saphan Hin

Two km to the west of the main park, this wat is at an elevation of 200m and affords great views of the historic park, although there's not a lot here to see.
Bicycle Tours

Cycling Sukhothai offers half-day tours ranging from 250 to 600 baht. The cheapest is the sunset tour, middle is a countryside tour, and the most expensive is the ruins tour. It is easy to book, since they advertise at nearly every guesthouse in town.
Sukhothai Historic Park

This fascinating park has been restored by UNESCO and the Thai Fine Arts Department. Admission into the old city is 100B and a number of separate outlying sites also collect admission charges. The best way to explore is really by bicycle, and there are hordes of hire places just outside the park ... read more