Ruins of Si Satchanalai and Chaliang

The ruins of Si Satchanalai and Chaliang include a central historical park along with a couple of outlying archaeological sites and related attractions set near tranquil villages. While not quite as impressive as the ruins found in Sukhothai, Si Satch’s ruins can make for a more rewarding experience thanks to a quieter and more intimate atmosphere. Read on to make the most of them.

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All of the attractions are often clumped under the label “Si Satchanalai Historical Park”, but they’re actually divided into three separate but related sections all located within a 10-kilometre radius near the Yom River. The largest section comprises the actual historical park, while the others fall under Chaliang in the village of Ban Phra Phrang to the south, and the Thuriang kilns in Ban Ko Noi to the north.

Put your exploring shoes on. Photo taken in or around Ruins of Si Satchanalai and Chaliang, Si Satchanalai, Thailand by David Luekens.

Put your exploring shoes on. Photo: David Luekens

You can pay 220 baht for a combined ticket to the central historical park plus the archaeological site at Chaliang’s Wat Chom Chuen and the Thuriang kilns. Each of these cost 100 baht if paying separately, while Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat charges its own 20 baht entrance fee in Chaliang.

Si Satchanalai Historical Park The actual historical park mainly covers the ruins of Si Satchanalai, a name that was coined when the Sukhothai kingdom took over in the mid-1200s. Most of the sites found here, including Wat Chedi Chet Thaeo, Wat Chang Lom and a pair of hilltop temples, were constructed during the Sukhothai period on land that was probably forest or farm when the Khmer were based at Chaliang. The park opened in 1988 and became a UNESCO world heritage ... Travelfish members only (Around 800 more words) ... please log in to read the rest of this story.