Sukhothai Thailand Historical Park: Historic Town

Sukhothai (Dawn of Happiness) was the first independent Thailand Kingdom and it was founded in 1238. The historic town of Sukhothai was the capital of the Kingdom.

It covers about 70 sq km and the ruins of many temples can still be found there.

The Details

The historic town is divided into five zones. The central zone has the first priority as it was the royal part of the city & has the most important temples.

You can walk along the central zone but other zones are very vast and they have large areas and it’s hard to go on foot.

Sukhothai Historical Park covers the ruins of Sukhothai Kingdom in the 13th and 14th centuries. It’s located in north central Thailand, near the city of Sukhothai, capital of Sukhothai Province.

The Historical Park’s walls form a 2 X 1.6 Km rectangle. There is a gate in the center of each wall. Historical park holds the remains of the royal palace and 26 temples, the largest being Wat Mahathat.

Some other important temples are: Wat Sa-Si, Wat Sri Sawai, Wat Trapang Nguen. UNESCO has declared the Park a World Heritage Site.

Navigating

In my opinion, the most interesting thing to do in the Sukhothai Thailand Historical Park could be Bike riding, in the early morning and take advantages of breathing mild fresh air, passing through lovely routes and watching green fields & imaginary temples at the same time.

Routes which are connecting the temples are really beautiful and both sides of them are bordered with greenery and trees.

Don’t worry about renting a bike, You can rent a bike from your hotel because many hotels in Sukhothai Old City rent bike to their customers in a low price, moreover there’s a bike rental shop in the complex.

There are some other shops in the complex which you can buy souvenirs or eatables and soft drinks.

Buddha’s Postures

During the Sukhothai era, Buddha images were created in the main 4 postures: Sitting, Standing, Walking & Reclining. Sukhothai style Buddha images depict Buddha after his enlightenment.

The Walking Buddha is unique to the Sukhothai era. Most Sukhothai style Walking Buddha images show the Vitarka (teaching) or Abhaya (dispelling fear) position.

Most Sukhothai style Sitting Buddha images are either in the Meditation or in the Bhumisparsha position.

The Sukhothai Historical Park has a very peaceful and quiet atmosphere and during your visit, you won’t see much people there, Motorbikes are no longer allowed in the Park.

It’s really the best religious site in Thailand and a very good option for meditating. The Heaven is open from 6.30. a.m.

Si Satchanalai Historical Park

Si Satchanalai Historical Park is one of three Sukhothai era ancient cities which are jointly listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites and often overlooked by tourists.

This park is 80KM away from Sukhothai Historical Park and it has been left in a more authentic state. Read more here.

Wat Si Chum (Big Buddha Statue)

The 13th century temple of Wat Si Chum is one of the largest and most mysterious temples in Sukhothai. Wat Si Chum is located close to Wat Phra Phai Luang. It’s about 2 kilometers away from the center of the “Sukhothai Historical Park”. The temple’s Buddha Image is one of the most photographed monuments in Sukhothai.

Wat Si Chum holds a large sitting Buddha Image wich shows Lord Buddha in Subduing Mara Posture. This Image is known as Phra Ajana. Phra Ajana is 15.63 meters high & 11.3 meters wide. The “Ajana” means “immovable”. This Buddha image is also known as the “Phra Pood Dai” or “the Speaking Buddha”. This temple with vast yards is really lovely and pleasant. It is accessible via some streets with tall trees which form a canopy for bike riding. It’s better to go there early in the morning to escape the hot weather. There some local artists present their products for sale, most of them are sacred products and Buddhist statues.

Photo Gallery

If you run into any problems whilst being in Thailand and need assistance, you can contact Thailand Tourist Assistance Center.