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Exploring the Ancient Kingdom of Sukhothai

12/24/2016 by Kristin 10 Comments

Sukhothai had big shoes to fill after my magical week in Pai.  I was feeling slightly blue for leaving that colorful town at all, and a little sore after spending 6 hours on a bus.

I wasn’t sure what I would think of Sukhothai, the first capitol of Thailand, but when I alighted from the bus, I was immediately warmly greeted.

About Sukhothai

The first capitol of Thailand lies about 280 miles north of Bangkok. The word ‘Sukhothai’ means ‘Dawn of Happiness’ (so appropriate – you will find out why, soon), and it was the first truly independent Thai Kingdom, founded over 700 years ago.

From Bangkok, you can buy tickets at major bus stations, and take an 8-hour long bus ride to Sukhothai. Buses run every couple of hours from 7am – 10pm. from Chiang Mai, buses depart from Arcade Bus Station every few hours, and the journey takes about 5-6 hours.

This little pocket of Thailand is split into two towns: the old and new. Most guest houses are located in the New Sukhothai – a small town full of friendly people and smiling faces. To get to the old town, where the historical park and ruins are, simply take a Songthaew, a converted truck in blue that is commonly seen in northern Thailand.

I’d heard that the ruins of Sukhothai warranted a look, and were even impressive enough to rival some of the ruins in the Angkor Wat complex. Like Pai, this town wasn’t even on my radar before leaving home for this journey. I’m glad I stopped by, it was impressive, indeed:

Sukhothai thailand
What a sight!

Sukhothai Historical Park

Sukhothai Historical Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is divided into 3 sections of wats, stupas, and temples. Most of the main attractions such as Wat Mahathat and Wat Si Wai are in the center. In comparison to Angkor Wat, Sukhothai Historical Park is much quieter, which I definitely appreciated.

I met a friendly crew on the rickety ride over from the new town to the Park. We rented bicycles for a mere $1, and made our way to the first set of ruins, Wat Mahathat. The brakes on our bikes didn’t really work, but as my friend Marco pointed out, brakes are overrated (see Marco? You did get a mention!).

It was early morning, and for the most part, we were the only tourists around. It could be due to the rain that had only just stopped as we arrived, but for the most part, this seems like a far-lesser-visited destination on the tourist track, which I always find immediately attractive.

Sukhothai thailand
beautiful!

A few magical things happened during my time here: first, a group of monks touring the temple were only a few steps ahead of us.  I caught one of them taking a photo of me:

Sukhothai thailand
I caught you!

He then asked if we could take one together, which I found touching.

Sukhothai thailand
Of course we can!

Next, at the statue of King Ramkhamhaeng, a cute old Thai man helped Lisa and I read one of the ancient chants.  He quietly said the words, and we immediately repeated them.

Sukhothai thailand
King Ramkhamhaeng Monument

He then beckoned us over to the other side of the shrine, and said a little prayer while applying gold leaf to our foreheads.

Sukhothai thailand
Being blessed with gold leaf

Cynical me, I figured he might hold his hand out for a donation following, but he did no such thing.  He gave us both hugs and sent us on our way.

Sukhothai thailand
Buddha inside of Wat Phra Phai Luang

We were like mini local celebrities, with children cheerfully yelling “hello!” as they saw us biking by.

Sukhothai thailand
Wat Si Sawai – Reminiscent of Angkor Wat

After a lovely day of biking around and enjoying the vistas, I made a wrong turn walking back to my guesthouse.  A friendly local could tell I was lost, and offered me a ride, gratis, on his motorbike.

Perhaps it’s due to the lower influx of tourists in Sukhothai, or perhaps the locals are simply friendlier here, but I felt extremely welcomed in this little pocket of Thailand.  I can tell they’re not tired of us tourists here, yet.  They still find us fascinating.  They still welcome us with open arms.

I’m very glad to have seen this for myself, and I think you should go see it, too. Here’s a map with some of the coolest spots I found at the historical park:

*If visiting Sukhothai, I can’t recommend Sila Resort enough. They picked me up from the bus stop and brought me back when I was done staying with them, saving me money and making it a really nice experience.

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I'm Kristin, and my vision of a better world is one where more women are empowered and living out their dreams. Solo traveling is the best method I've found to become the best, bravest version of me. This site is all about how YOU can have the adventure of a lifetime in an easy, fun, approachable way, so that you can feel empowered, too. Want to learn more about me?

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Comments

  1. Jessica Dawdy says

    12/24/2012 at 4:00 pm

    I’m in Thailand now, and this place is so next on my list to visit. It seems a little more off the beaten track compared to Ayutthaya, but equally fascinating from a historical perspective.

    Reply
    • Kristin Addis says

      12/24/2012 at 10:50 pm

      It is. I went to Ayutthaya too and it’s not even getting a post because I was so unimpressed compared to Sukhothai!

      Reply
  2. Ian Ord says

    12/24/2012 at 10:53 pm

    One of my all time favourite spots in Thailand!! Great pics and what sounds like a great adventure! I always love catching the monks taking photos.. but very cool how he turned the camera on you too!!

    Reply
    • Kristin Addis says

      12/24/2012 at 11:09 pm

      It was a favorite experience of mine so far, being asked to take pics with him! I really loved Sukhothai.

      Reply
  3. Marco says

    12/25/2012 at 12:42 am

    That was such a lovely day. I like the pic of us with the monk very much. I will use it in every presentation I gonna do about my trip to Thailand. 🙂

    Reply
    • Kristin Addis says

      03/20/2013 at 5:19 am

      Awesome! Hope it went well 🙂

      Reply
  4. JustChuckinIt says

    12/27/2012 at 9:17 am

    That is so awesome. It’s always amazing when you find a place where people are kind just to be kind. What a gorgeous temple too.

    Reply
    • Kristin Addis says

      03/20/2013 at 5:20 am

      I loved it. So glad I stopped by there

      Reply
  5. LJ says

    01/03/2013 at 9:44 am

    That was indeed an adventurous day! I love the idea of biking in the ancient city. Great photos Kristin! And yes, I also like the picture of us with the monk, Marco 🙂 But having the man bless us while putting gold on our foreheads was amazing.

    Reply
    • Kristin Addis says

      03/20/2013 at 5:20 am

      that was so amazing! So happy to have shared it with you guys

      Reply

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