Have you ever wondered where the ancient Thai civilization comes from? The answer is Sukhothai. The old city of Sukhothai is full of mysteries of Thailand and can be considered as the father of modern Thailand.
History of Sukhothai Old Town
Sukhothai appears on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In the past, this city was the capital of the Siam kingdom. It was called Sukhothai because it was one of the most important cities back then, and it was the center of Thai art, architecture, and civilization. Sukhothai in Thai means the dawn of happiness. The old city of Sukhothai is located in the north of Thailand, in the Yum River Valley.
According to historians, the old city of Sukhothai was built in the mid-thirteenth century when Khmer was the king of the city.
Travel to Sukhothai
When you first set foot in the city of Sukhothai, you feel like you are traveling in a time machine and stepping into one of the old eastern cities. Maybe when you were on your plane or train and were on your way to Sukhothai, you imagined this place as an old city with just a few ruins, but the reality you will see is very different from what you imagined. With each step you take in the city, a nostalgic sense of calmness will form in you.
Historic Town of Sukhothai, Thailand
Sukhothai City Attractions
The most important thing about any city for tourists is its historical attractions. A thousand-year-old Sukhothai certainly has something for every taste. In recent years, the number of visitors to the old city of Sukhothai has increased significantly. The reason is that the Thai government has tried to add facilities for the well-being of tourists without changing the appearance and old atmosphere of the city.
Sukhothai Historical Park
Of course, the first place to visit in Sukhothai Old Town is Sukhothai Historical Park. This park house has about 200 residential and religious places. One of the interesting things about Sukhothai Historical Park is that you can see buildings with architectures of different eras in this park. The reason is that this city has witnessed the change of many empires in history. Surely, a city that is this old has a relic from every historical period.
Sukhothai Historical Park is open every day until 6 pm and on weekends until 8 pm and hosts tourists who want to enjoy the history of Sukhothai in addition to enjoying its green space.
Wat Mahathat
With a little walk in the park and pass by the lotus leaves that are in the lake, you will reach an old wall that is still standing properly in its place. As you walk along the wall, you can see a magnificent building whose grandeur reminds you of ancient dynasties. As you may have guessed, this place was the center of the Sukhothai kingdom called Wat Mahathat. Certainly, the first thing that catches your eye in this place is the huge statue of Buddha located at the gate in front of the temple.
This sculpture is very special and remarkable in its kind because its style of construction is different from other statues. The Sukhothai sculptures made Buddha’s face in an oval shape. His body and clothes were smoothly carved, which gives it an exceptional and unique shape.
Historic Town of Sukhothai, Thailand
Shopping in Sukhothai Old Town
Certainly, a city that has tried to maintain its originality and does not match with today’s modern cities has stores and shopping centers appropriate to its culture. In Sukhothai, there is no trace of modern shops with luxury goods of world brands. Most of the things that are shown in Sukhothai shops are old and unique things. Every item seen in Sukhothai shops tries to reflect a part of Thai culture.
But do not think that these goods are useless or cheap! The city’s gold and silverware are each painted by the hands of Thai artists. Therefore, they have a high value.
Food in the Historical Town of Sukhothai
If you are even a little familiar with Thai food, you must know that pepper is an integral part of it. As we said, most things in Thailand trace back to Sukhothai. The same goes for spicy foods. Sukhothai noodles, the city’s most famous dish, have huge superiority over other Thai dishes in terms of spiciness. When you want to try this noodle, it is best to have a glass of water at your side so that you can relieve your burns a little!
You can buy Sukhothai noodles in most restaurants in the city or even from Sukhothai vendors. Bon appetit!
Historic Town of Sukhothai
Staying in the Old Town of Sukhothai
The only place in the city that reminds you of today’s modern cities is where you are going to stay. Most Sukhothai hotels have been built in recent years and are therefore modern and full of facilities. Be sure to rent a scooter or bicycle from your hotel and explore the city with it and enjoy the good weather of Sukhothai and its lush scenery.
Sukhothai Nights
The nights of Sukhothai have a completely different world from their quiet days. But before it gets completely dark, there is something else to do, especially if you are in the old Sukhothai Park. This activity is nothing but watching the sunset! Behold! You are going to see one of the most stunning sceneries of your life.
The combination of yellow and orange lights that hit the ruins of the temples and then reflected from inside the lake creates a highly dreamy landscape. As soon as it gets dark, the city is full of light and sound. All the restaurants in the Sukhothai will be filled with tourists or locals, and noise fills the whole city.
You can also use English-language tours to visit the city and enjoy the beauties of Sukhothai with a group of tourists.
Historic Town of Sukhothai, Thailand
Getting to Sukhothai
If you are staying in Bangkok, you can take a bus to Sukhothai Old Town. These buses go to Sukhothai every day from 7 am. The bus ticket price is affordable and is about 500 baht. Your trip will take about 7 hours, so it is better to leave early in the morning to have enough time to visit most parts of Sukhothai.
A faster and more interesting way is to use the train. Trains to Sukhothai leave Hua Lamphong Station in Bangkok seven times a day. The first train departs at 5.50 am every day. The duration of your trip will be about four and a half hours.
If you want to get to your destination the fastest way, you can choose the air route. Your origin is Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport or Don Muang Airport. Your ticket costs about $ 80, and your trip takes about two and a half hours.
The Best Time to Go
Sukhothai is situated 50 m above sea level. It has a tropical climate with a lot of rain in the summer and very little in the winter. There is an annual average temperature of 27.4 °C | 81.4 °F in Sukhothai. Annual rainfall amounts to 1517 mm | 59.7 inches. Here you can see the table of these averages.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. Temperature °C (°F) |
24.6 °C (76.3) °F |
27.1 °C (80.9) °F |
29.6 °C (85.3) °F |
31.3 °C (88.3) °F |
29.3 °C (84.8) °F |
28.1 °C (82.5) °F |
27.5 °C (81.5) °F |
27.2 °C (80.9) °F |
27.2 °C (80.9) °F |
27 °C (80.5) °F |
26.1 °C (78.9) °F |
24.4 °C (75.9) °F |
| Min. Temperature °C (°F) |
19.2 °C (66.6) °F |
21.3 °C (70.4) °F |
23.8 °C (74.8) °F |
26.4 °C (79.4) °F |
25.9 °C (78.6) °F |
25.4 °C (77.7) °F |
25 °C (77.1) °F |
24.8 °C (76.6) °F |
24.5 °C (76.1) °F |
23.8 °C (74.8) °F |
21.7 °C (71.1) °F |
19.1 °C (66.3) °F |
| Max. Temperature °C (°F) |
29.8 °C (85.6) °F |
32.7 °C (90.8) °F |
35.2 °C (95.4) °F |
36.6 °C (97.9) °F |
33.7 °C (92.7) °F |
31.6 °C (88.9) °F |
30.7 °C (87.3) °F |
30.4 °C (86.8) °F |
30.8 °C (87.4) °F |
30.8 °C (87.4) °F |
30.5 °C (86.8) °F |
29.3 °C (84.7) °F |
| Precipitation / Rainfall mm (in) |
17 (0.7) |
14 (0.6) |
36 (1.4) |
73 (2.9) |
224 (8.8) |
214 (8.4) |
218 (8.6) |
249 (9.8) |
260 (10.2) |
163 (6.4) |
34 (1.3) |
15 (0.6) |
| Humidity(%) | 63% | 56% | 52% | 54% | 70% | 79% | 80% | 82% | 83% | 80% | 71% | 65% |
| Rainy days (d) | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 13 | 4 | 2 |
| avg. Sunhours (hours) | 8.9 | 9.8 | 10.1 | 10.2 | 9.3 | 9.6 | 9.7 | 9.3 | 8.6 | 8.4 | 8.8 | 8.7 |
