Sukhothai Historical Park
Generally speaking, Sukhothai is a well-known province – like Ayutthaya – when it comes to retro places and historic heritage sites. These features have made the area develop over the years into the major tourist hub we know and love today.
So if you’re the kind of person who has a liking for ancient places and fancy expanding your knowledge about local history and culture, try paying Sukhothai Historical Park a visit.
With multiple small ancient temples, a waterfront market & a hidden gigantic Buddha statue, a day trip here would allow guests to time-travel back to traditional Thai civilisation, hundreds of years ago.
Here’s what you can expect to see at the site and how to get there.
Historical park with small ancient temples
Known as a must-visit attraction in the city, Sukhothai Historical Park houses up to 26 small ancient temples that date back to the Sukhothai Era – during the age of a kingdom that’s approximately founded around the mid-13th century.
Due to its historical importance, the attraction has been listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO. But beyond its worn brick shrines and statues, lies stories and tales from long ago, etched into the ruins that remain.
Sukhothai Historical Park is seen as a representation of the start of the Thai nation and a crucial part of the Sukhothai Kingdom that grew to its peak during the era of King Ramkhamhaeng The Great. This kingdom was later annexed to the Ayutthaya Kingdom later on. Thus, the place has retained many historical and picturesque spots to make pitstops at.
Interestingly, in each temple, you’ll see a lot of long-standing brick pagodas, run-down pavilions, and eroded white sculptures of Buddha figures. Considering their intricate designs, these temples definitely stand out from other typical religious sites in more modern settings.
One of the Buddha sculptures that we like the most is this huge “Phra Achana” sitting inside Wat Si Chum. Looking up, you can get a narrow view of the sky through this roofless mondop. We dare say that this sculpture is an iconic landmark of the historic site and a popular photo spot among visitors.
Besides looking pretty impressive by daylight, there’s a different, rather ethereal quality that falls over the historic site by night. Once the sun dips below the horizon, the temples will be lit up, making them look spectacular in their own right.
Stroll through a mini waterfront market
We’d highly recommend that you go there on a weekend as there’s a small walking market near a large pond, open weekly from Fridays to Sundays. Here, you can look for cheap food or buy traditional gifts for someone in your family.
It’s not a very large market per se, but we love the traditional ambience and authentic local cuisine that make it perfect for a relaxing evening walk.
After grabbing a snack, or pocketing a trinket from the stalls, remember to stay a little longer – at least until the evening if you can, so you can admire the charms of this venue in a different atmosphere.
Thanks to the waterfront bridge, the sight of glittering yellow lights on the surface will be a great way to round out your trip.
Getting to Sukhothai Historic Park
Judging by its picturesque relics, we’re not surprised that this is a top-rated place among tourists, especially for first-time visitors to the Sukhothai region. Those who love the idea of stepping into a slice of Thailand’s past, this is a must-visit destination for you. For where once stood the heart of Thailand’s early civilisation, now stands a place that continues to tell timeless stories about Thai history.
Do note that the admission fee is ฿20 (~USD0.50) for Thai citizens and ฿100 (~USD3) for foreigners – which is pretty cheap, in our opinion.
As for getting there, Sukhothai Historic Park is located 20 minutes away from the city of Sukhothai, which is not too difficult to access by Grab or tuk-tuk. We’d recommend that you try flying to Sukhothai – if you’re headed here from Bangkok – and rent a car or a motorcycle to get to the final destination. Alternatively, if you opt to drive straight from Bangkok, it’ll take about 6 hours on the road.
If you have any friends who are history buffs, do let them know about this place. We’re sure they will thank you later.
Sukhothai Historic Park
Address: Moo 3 498/12 Mueang Kao, Mueang Sukhothai District, Sukhothai 64210
Opening Hours: 6.30AM – 7.30PM, Sun – Fri | 6.30AM – 9PM, Sat
Telephone: +66 5 569 7527
Sukhothai Historic Park’s Facebook | Google Maps
Cover images adapted from (Clockwise from Top Left): @dylan_wlzs, @gift.saranya.s, @pae_taewich
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