A visit to Thailand is not complete without an exploration of the historical park in the ancient capital of Sukhothai. Considered by many Thais to be the first true Thai kingdom, the Sukhothai period is looked upon as a golden age of Thai politics, religion, art and culture. Sukhothai, literally meaning "Dawn of Happiness" flourished from the mid 13th to late 14th centuries, ending rule by the Khmer civilisation which was centred in Angkor Wat in what today is Cambodia. Even today, the evocative ruins of Sukhothai conjure up images of material prosperity, artistic greatness, and serene Buddhism. Sukhothai’s stronghold took effect during the first half of the 13th century. The kingdom was united by conquest, by joining ruling families of other Thai states in a network of farsighted marriage alliances and by use of a common religion, Theravada Buddhism, to further bind relations between states. Sukhothai’s power and influence spread in all directions, the Khmer were driven southward and an independent Thai Kingdom emerged led by the first King of Sukhothai, Si Inthrathit. The most famous and dynamic ruler of Sukhothai was Si Inthrathit's son and successor, King Ramkhamhaeng. According to Thai history, the King was much revered by his people. The economy was mostly self sufficient, small scale and agricultural and the basic foods of the people were rice and fish. During the Sukhothai period, glazed ceramic pottery wares known as "sangkhalok" were produced in great quantities at the kilns of Sukhothai and exported regularly to other countries in the South China Sea area, examples having been found in Indonesia and the Philippines. Animistic beliefs remained amongst the people, but the Kings of Sukhothai were all devout Buddhist rulers. The major cities reflected their Buddhist ways and were full of many monasteries that exhibited impressive Thai Buddhist architecture. Sukhothai style Buddha images are distinctive for their elegance and stylised beauty; it was Sukhothai's artists that introduced the graceful newer form of the "walking Buddha" into Buddhist sculpture. Another important cultural event was the development of the Thai alphabet. During King Ramkhamhaeng’s time, taking the Mon and Kymer scripts as models, a definite Thai script evolved. In fact, this king is credited with having invented the basis of modern Thai script. The warrior kings, Si Inthrathit and Ramkhamhaeng, expanded their kingdom far and wide but their successors were not so strong. Some of the later kings concentrated their leadership efforts on religious piety and building rather than maintaining and extending the Sukhothai territory. During the latter half of the 14th century, southern Thai states began to challenge Sukhothai’s economic and political power. In 1378, Sukhothai became a tributary state of Ayutthaya. Sukhothai later attempted to break loose from Ayutthaya but with no real success, and in the 15th century it was incorporated into the Ayutthaya kingdom as a province. With the fall of Sukhothai rule came the demise of the capital. Today only the ruins of the prosperous capital remain. In the town centre there is a lively market where you will find local products and can taste the local food. Honey roasted bananas, sweet sticky rice, noodle soup and Thai barbecued chicken are favourite Thai snacks. It’s also a good chance to get to know the local people who enjoy trying out their English and listening to foreigners attempt to speak a few words of the Thai language. The Sukhothai Historical Park is a few kilometres away and can easily be reached by local bus or samlor (three-wheeled taxi). In 1978 UNESCO and the Thai government joined forces to develop and protect the park. Administered by the Fine Arts Department of the Ministry of Education, the remains of 21 historical sites and four large lotus filled ponds can be seen within the old walls, including ruins of the royal palaces, Buddhist temples, the city gates, walls, moats, dams, ditches, ponds, canals and the water control system. The walls and moats were not only defensive; the water provided a dry season domestic and agricultural reservoir, and also supported crops and animals. Equally important, the water system was the magical and spiritual centre of the kingdom, central to the animistic and ancestral cults of the various ethnic groups who occupied the area of present day Thailand. Always a good starting point for exploration, is the Ramkhamhaeng National museum for an insight into the history and culture of the rich Sukhothai era. Sukhothai temple architecture is typified by the classic lotus bud stupa, often mirrored in the ponds and moats of the old city. In the centre of the historical park is the old city whose north and the south walls stretch for 2 km. Surrounded by walls and moats there were four bridged gateways to the city. The largest Wat (temple) in the city is Wat Mahathat, built in the 13th century. Located in the centre of the city, the Royal Palace and Wat Mahathat cover an area of 160,000m2. Surrounded by brick walls and a moat, stately Buddha figures still sit amongst crumbling brick ruins of the large central chedi (religious monument), 126 smaller chedis and ruined columns. Inside the city confines you will also find Wat Mai, Wat Traphang Thong, Wat Sa Si, Wat Chana Songkhram, Wat Traphang Ngoen and Wat Si Sawai. Wat Sa Si is known as the ‘Sacred pond monastery’ and sits on an island. At the centre of the Wat is a large Buddha surrounded by it’s ruined columns. The large lotus filled pond that surrounds Wat Trapang Thong supplies the new Sukhothai community with most of its water today. Outside the city walls there are still more magical ruins to explore, in fact a further 70 or so religious monuments in a radius of 5km including forest monasteries and the supposed remnants of an older Khmer city. Wat Si Chum, which lies west of the old city walls, features the impressive and much photographed 15 metre high seated Buddha. It’s a good idea to hire a bike outside the park entrance to take in the ambience of the ruins and their surroundings at your own pace. The park is open to the public everyday from 6:00 - 18:00 hrs. The admission fee is 20 baht. There is a Tourist Service Center near Wat Phra Phai Luang. The center provides information and facilitates visits to the Sukhothai Historical Park, as well as displaying models of historical buildings and structures in the old city of Sukhothai. Besides the many foreign tourists that visit Old Sukhothai come many Thai pilgrims from all over Thailand. With them they bring offerings of incense, flowers, food and gold leaf for the various images of Buddha. For them it is not only a historical park but also a place of worship. Above all, the ancient complex at Sukhothai demonstrates the power and continuity of religious influence. Map of Old Sukhothai TopMap of New Sukhothai HOMEI LOCATION I ROOMS I FACILITIES I RESERVATIONS I CONTACT I LINKS I COPYRIGHT SUKHOTHAI HISTORICAL PARK I SI SATCHANALAI HISTORICAL PARK I LOI KRATHONG FESTIVAL I ARTS & CRAFTS