Sukhothai

Things to see and do

Sukhothai Historic Park

The cradle of Thai civilization during the 13th and 14th centuries, the UNESCO world heritage-listed Sukhothai is Thailand's best historical park, at least in our humble opinion. From imposing chedis and shrines, to stunning Buddha images and ancient art, to tranquil laterite ruins surrounded by ... read more
Ramkhamhaeng National Museum

Opened in 1964, this museum contains a collection of artefacts, including ceramics, day to day items, ancient inscriptions and some of the more elaborate and well preserved stone carvings from the sites of Sukhothai. It's a good place to begin or end your tour of the ruins and provides a more ... read more
Wat Mahathat

Wat Mahathat was once the centre of the Sukhothai kingdom and remains the largest and arguably most impressive ruin within the park. The complex was once walled in and surrounded by a moat, and the rambling enclosure contains almost 200 chedis, the tallest of which is a lotus-bud chedi at the ... read more
Wat Si Chum

This famous and much photographed temple is located in the northern zone outside the northwest corner of the central park, although it's best reached en route to the western zone along the main road to Tak. The impressive mondop houses a massive Buddha almost touching the ground in the subduing ... read more
Wat Si Sawai

A short walk southwest of Wat Mahathat, Wat Si Sawai was originally built by the Khmers as a shrine to Vishnu, Siva and other Hindu gods. Architecturally it resembles other regional Khmer monuments such as those at Phimai in northeast Thailand and Angkor in Cambodia. During the Sukhothai era ... read more
Wat Trapang Ngoen

This smaller site due west of Wat Mahathat is particularly photogenic at sunrise with the hills in the background that supposedly resemble a reclining Buddha. Although there's not a whole lot to see, a well preserved Buddha image is found at the back of what would have been an enclosed temple, and ... read more
Wat Sa Si

Located west of the King Ramkhamhaeng monument and situated on two connected islands surrounded by an ancient reservoir, this wat is simple yet beautiful. Apart from the large Sri Lankan-style mounded chedi and walking Buddha in Sukhothai style, there's not a whole lot to see here, but it's ... read more
Wat Phra Phai Luang

Located due north of the central zone and surrounded by a moat, Wat Phra Phai Luang was originally built by Khmers at the centre of a Khmer town, well before the Thais began to build here. It's believed to be one of the oldest complexes in the park, although many additions were added long after ... read more
Wat Saphan Hin

King Ramkamhaeng is believed to have climbed the stone bridge at Wat Saphan Hin on a white elephant to pay homage to the striking image on every Buddhist sabbath. Two kilometres to the west of the main park in the western zone, Wat Saphan Hin translates to "temple of the stone bridge", and was ... read more
Bicycle Tours

While most tour the immediate park solo, there are plenty of outlying sites that may be of interest and that can be visited by tour if you wisj. Cycling Sukhothai offers some interesting half-day tours that lead cyclists through the countryside outside of Sukhothai, with stops at lesser known ... read more