Sukhothai Historical Park
About Sukhothai Historical Park
As one of Thailand's ancient capitals, Old Sukhothai was the ruling center of the Sukhothai Kingdom which governed the area that is now the Thailand’s northern region during the 13th and 14th centuries. The ruins of this ancient city cover a very large area (2 km by 1.6 km), and house the remains of the royal palace, numerous Buddhist statues and no less than 26 Buddhist temples. Wat Mahathat is the largest of the temples, but the towering Buddha Phra Achana in the Wat Si Chum Chapel is equally impressive. The park is maintained by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand, and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1991.
While the ruins can be easily toured on foot, many travelers recommend visiting the park by bicycle to get around quicker (bicycle rentals are available in the modern city of Sukhothai).
While the ruins can be easily toured on foot, many travelers recommend visiting the park by bicycle to get around quicker (bicycle rentals are available in the modern city of Sukhothai).
Payment Accepted:
Getting there:
The Sukhothai ruins are located just outside of the modern city of Sukhothai. Buses run directly between the modern-day town and the ruins. The bus ride is relatively short – under 15 minutes.
[Flag as duplicate]
First To Review:
Jun 30, 2007
This was probably my favourite place in all of Thailand. The presence of big old trees, temple ruins and gardens was a real winning combination for me. Every ruin had its own point of interest, but my favourite was the enourmous Buddha statue at Wat Si Chum - you get to see a lot of Buddha statues in Thailand, but this one had some kind of increadible majesty to it. I only wished I had budgeted 2 days for exploring these ruins instead of one.
Feb 23, 2009
Sukhothai is a modern city now, but on the outskirts is the Historical Park which contains the old city of Sukhothai which was once the capital of Thailand. There is little to see except some giant statues of Budda and lotus ponds ( I have some lovely photos of these) since most buildings where built using local teak rather than bricks or stone so they didn't survive. It is well worth a visit though and easy to get around on bicycles (hire shops at entrance gate).
Jan 4, 2010
Walking with the kings and queens... listening stories of the past.. reading from the smiling, peaceful faces of megalith sculptures and structures... all that can't be easier and more joyful than in a place where everyone finds a piece of it's soul..
Hotels Near Sukhothai Historical Park
Related Links
Travel insurance from Worldnomads.com
