Sukhothai Attractions Travel Guide  Jump to: Attractions Galleries
Let's face it, nobody comes to Sukhothai to visit the new town. Everyone comes to see the ruins of the ancient city of Sukhothai, the capital of Thailand during the 13th century. The whole of the ancient city is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is contained within the massive Sukhothai National Park. [more]
Experience Sukhothai's favorite sights as others see them. Let our visual picture tour of Sukhothai help you choose the best places to visit in Sukhothai:
Ancient Sukhothai
Sukhothai was the capital of Thailand from 1238 to 1438, the powerbase of King Sri Indraditya and his kingdom of the "Dawn of Happiness", which is what Sukhothai means. Until that time, the kingdom had been part of the Khmer empire, but two Thai chiefs declared independence and set up their own state. One of them, Pho Khun Bang Klang Hao, later became King Si Indrathit (or Intradit) of Sukhothai.
Both kingdom and city flourished further under the next ruler, King Ramkhamhaeng, and Sukhothai became a force to be reckoned with when it allied with warlike northern tribes. In fact, this alliance actually repelled Chinese Mongol invaders at the time of Kublai Khan. Such was the kingdom's military strength that Sukhothai troops would regularly mount raids into China itself. At the height of its powers, the Sukhothai kingdom stretched from the Indian Ocean in the west to Lao Vieng Chan in the east, and south as far as the Malay Peninsula.
The court at Sukhothai was a devout and sophisticated environment, where Theravada Buddhism flourished, finding expression in the beautiful temples and giant images of the Buddha still found all over the ancient city. The kingdom also developed the Thai written alphabet in 1283, so that their tonal-based language could be understood more widely.
However, the kingdom began to fragment as provinces rebelled against their overlords and declared independence. The newly founded kingdom of Ayutthaya began to draw power away, and by 1378, Sukhothai King Thammaracha II had to give in to the stronger kingdom. When King Thammaracha IV moved the capital of his now tribute state to Phitsanulok, and in 1438, King Thammaracha IV became just another province of Ayutthaya. The whole city was finally abandoned in the late 15th century, and left to fall into ruins.
Thais get very misty-eyed and romantic about the kingdom of Sukhothai, considering it a golden age for Thai culture. Their perception is based on an inscription written by King Ramkhamhaeng that declared; "This Muang Sukhothai is good. In the water there are fish, in the field there is rice." The inscription also goes on to say that Sukhothai traders would not be taxed, always a good policy to win friends!
Tourist Information at Sukhothai
There is no tourist information office as such in new Sukhothai, but your Sukhothai hotel receptionist will be a goldmine of information, as is the staff of any of the new town's numerous guesthouses. The one must-have for any trip to the Sukhothai Historical Park is a map, purchasable on site for just a few baht, and essential for navigating around the roads and canals of this amazing site. Further information and guided tours are available from the Information Centre at the Historical Park, which is located opposite Wat Phra Phai Luang.
If you encounter any problems, the Tourist Police are happy to help, and are based in their own police station opposite the Ramkhamhaeng Museum at the Historical Park, or dial 1155.
|
"Everything you ever wanted to know about Sukhothai attractions"
