Tai Dai Sukhothai

Confusing Confusion

As often happens with important and ancient sites, there are four different locations answering to the name "Sukhothai," understanding the differences and how to properly address them is key to a successful visit to the site.

Sukhothai: if the name appears unaccompanied, it often refers to the province in which the three following sites are.

Old Sukhothai: are the ruins of the Sukhothai Kingdom capital city; this is the westernmost site among the three.

Old Sukhothai (modern) town: just east of the ruins of the Sukhothai Kingdom capital city is a very small town providing services to the travelers reaching the area.

New Sukhothai: is the popular name of Suriyothai, the capital of the modern Sukhothai Province. It is located twelve kilometers east from the ruins and is of little interest to travelers.

Central Coordinates

Located roughly on the line separating central Thailand from the northern part of the country, Sukhothai enjoys a superb location, allowing the traveler a very significant stop on the long way north from Bangkok to Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai. Moreover, the east-west axis is significant: westwards is Mae Sot where a Thai visa can be renewed, while eastwards is Phitsanulok, featuring an important temple and good travel connections to the rest of the country.

Car Considerations

Its location means Sukhothai enjoys meaningful connection in all directions, despite the main travel hub of the area being Tak, a dull town to the west.

If traveling from Bangkok to Chiang Mai via Tak and having no plans to visit Phitsanulok, there is no need to reach New Sukhothai. If arriving from Phitsanulok, it is recommended to continue west once at New Sukhothai, since Old Sukhothai is more convenient for exploring the ruins at odd hours.

Westwards

All the buses traveling westwards from Sukhothai reach Tak, which is the first city seen on the way. Tak's bus terminal is across the highway and outside the city; from there it is possible to reach Mae Sot on the Burmese border.

Eastwards

A hour away to the east is Phitsanulok, the main crossroads in central Thailand and home to the second holiest Buddha in the country. Buses to all the major cities in the country cross it; buses to Bangkok, Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai can be boarded even at the small hours.

Southwards

From Tak it is possible to join the highway to Bangkok; with the exception of the express VIP buses, all others stop at Tak and allow passengers in. As a result, buses are available at all hours.

Buses to Tak and Phitsanulok leave from the Mo Chit Terminal in Bangkok, buses reaching Sukhothai directly are less frequent. The best strategy is reaching one of the two travel hubs in the area and then reaching Sukhothai with local buses.

Northwards

The whole north of the country is accessible from Tak and Phitsanulok; the last offers buses to Isaan as well. Direct buses connect Sukhothai with Chiang Mai, if arriving from the last, make sure to get off at the ruins and not at New Sukhothai. Leave the bus at the inhabited houses appearing just after the ruins are passed by.

Inwards

The best way to see the ruins is by bicycle; they can be rented in Old Sukhothai from practically every guesthouse and shop.

Trucks (locally called "songthaew," meaning "two lines" of seats, due to their arrangement in the vehicle's back) connect Old and New Sukhothai during the day. They are useful if arriving at New Sukhothai by bus from Phitsanulok.

Fair Facilities

The modern town of Old Sukhothai offers good facilities to the traveler, much better than anything at Ayutthaya, the closest comparable site in the country.

Old Sukhothai's night market is superb; it offers incredible opportunities at a very attractive setup. Located at the main road crossing the town - and leading to the ruins - the stalls are not crowded, allowing enjoying the food as well as the company of most of the town. The fruits - as always in Thailand - are superb there and a 7-Eleven provides those small items hard to find elsewhere.

If staying at New Sukhothai, there are several restaurants catering for tourists, which serve the usual eclectic mix of international dishes. However, also there the best recommendation is the night market, which is next to the Ratchathani Temple.

Sleeping in New Sukhothai is not recommended, since in such a case the exploration of the temples would be limited by the public transport working hours; seeing a sunrise over the temples would then not be possible. Several guesthouses are located in Old Sukhothai in front of the night market. Despite being rather basic, all of them are remarkable for the huge and clean rooms they offer.

On Provincial Names

Rural Thailand can be a bit confusing, especially while reading local signs. Often cities are referred by other than the official name and rural locations bear the name of well known cities. This is the result of the country's administrative organization into provinces (changwat) and not into metropolitan areas.

For example, nowadays Sukhothai is the name of a province; its capital would usually be simply referred to as "muang" (city) while referred to within the province, because most often there is only one city within a province. Sukhothai's "muang" is Suriyothai, which - in its role as capital - may be referred to as Sukhothai (or in this case as New Sukhothai), its province's name, once outside the province's borders.

Moreover, such towns usually have unclear borders, with vast zones where city and farm overlap, creating thus a difficulty in even recognizing the town. Making things even more complex, names change; the province was renamed Sukhothai in 1939, until then it was known as Sawankhalok, a name that still can be seen there.

Suriyothai

Suriyothai - modern Sukhothai's province capital - is located about 430 kilometers north of Bangkok in the valley of the Yom River, a Chao Phraya River tributary. The Sukhothai ruins and town are located twelve kilometers westwards on the main road spanning the province. With a population of less than forty thousand and no attractions within the town, it is of little interest to travelers.

Area's Attractions

Twelve kilometers west of Suriyothai is the Sukhothai Historical Park; it opens daily between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM. It was the capital of the Sukhothai Kingdom and offers to the travelers one of the best historical sites in South East Asia.

Fifty two kilometers from the city is the Sri Sachanalai Historical Park, also - as Sukhothai - recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is known also as "Muang Chaliang," and features ruins of 134 monuments.

Nearby is the Ramkhamhaeng National Park, also known as Pa Kho Luang. Tis big park offers unspoiled wildlife and rainforest; reaching an altitude of 1200m above the sea level, it features waterfalls, cliffs, caves and unexplored ruins. The highest waterfall - reaching 30m - is called Tad Dao. Information on how to reach it - and other sites like the Thara Wasan Cave - is available at the park entrance. the cave (1.5km) and the waterfall (0.5km) are near it.

Secondary attractions within the park are the Sai Rung Waterfall, which has water only during the rainy season; the Buddha Footprint at the foot of the Tham Phrabath hill, which strangely is only 600 years old, posing thus questions regarding its true nature; the now destroyed Narai Cave where the statue of Phra Bodhisattva Awalokitesuan was; the Phra Mae Ya Cave here the statue of Phra Mae Ya was (now it can be seen in the town hall); the Phrabath Yai Mountain and the Kew Eye Ma Hill.

Events

A Buddhist festival in nature, Phor Khun Ramkhamhaeng honors on January 17th, a Sukhothai king of that name. In such events, people do merit - puja, an important Buddhist concept - by visiting relevant monuments and Buddhist institutions in the area. Being Ramkhamhaeng the most important king of the Sukhothai Kingdom the choice here was obvious; at that night a food festival can be enjoyed on the streets.

Held on April 12th in the Sri Sachanalai Historical Park, the Song Nam Aui Than Festival festival consists of a Songkran Buddhist ceremony, in which an image procession advances from Wat Phra Prang to the Historical park.

An unusual event is the Si Sachanalai Ordination Celebration on April 7th, in Ban Hat Sieo, when a procession of monks ordination candidates are lead atop decorated elephants.

Loi Krathong is celebrated around Thailand, and in Sukhothai as well, on days 13 to 15 (the new moon) of the 12th lunar month. Krathong - flower arrangements carrying candles - are put to float on the rivers. Copious amounts of food and fireworks follow the event.

Sukhothai provides one of the best historical park experiences in South East Asia; neither Angkor nor Ayutthaya manage to provide such a pleasant, uncluttered environment.

Moreover, special lightning during the evenings provides unforgettable views of the temples and statues, making the spending of at least one night at one of the adjacent guesthouses at Old Sukhothai town an integral part of such a visit.

The park is maintained by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand and had been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Zoning and Fees

Covering about seventy square kilometers, Sukhothai has been divided into five zones. Most of the ruins and the museum are in the central zone; open between 6 AM and 6 PM, its admission fee is 40B, bicycles and cars are charged extra. Maps can be purchased for 3B.

Each one of the other zones can be accessed after paying a specific 30B fee. Like Ayutthaya, Sukhothai suffers of a cumbersome fees' system that spoils the experience; every few meters you are requested to pay.

A guided tour (20B) of the main attractions travels by electric tram is available; however, the best way of exploring the ruins is by foot or bicycle. The last can be rented at Old Sukhothai town, just east of the ruins.

Sights

Central Zone

A rectangle of walls of about 2 km east-west by 1.6 km north-south surrounded the city, which in its whole is defined as the central zone. Nowadays the ruins of the royal palace and twenty-six remaining temples are the main sights. A gate in the center of each wall allows passage to the other zones.

Wat Mahathat is the largest and most impressive temple in the complex, with a large Buddha figure seated between pillars of a ruined sala, and a central chedi flanked by two standing Buddha figures. Its main chedi features a typical Sukhothai style lotus-bud chedi, with a conical spire finial on a square-sided structure on top of a three-tiered base. The temple contains around two hundred chedis.

South of it is Wat Si Sawai, which is remarkable due to its three prangs - the Khmer version of a chedi or a stupa - built in Lopburi style; images at the site point at its origin as a Hindu temple.

Northwest of Wat Mahathat is Wat Sa Si; it features a round stupa built in Sri Lankan style. Early in the kingdom, monks were brought from there to help install Theravada Buddhism as the state religion.

North Zone

Outside the city walls and thus less rich in temples than the central zone, the north zone is still definitely recommended.

Wat Phra Phai Luang is close to the northern gate and contains several buildings and a large Khmer prang with Buddha stucco reliefs.

Northwest of the city wall, Wat Sri Chum is remarkable due to the massive Phra Atchana, a sitting Buddha image, as well as drawings depicting different Buddhist stories.

East Zone

The main structure in the eastern zone is Wat Chang Lom, featuring a bell-shaped chedi with thirty-two elephant statues around its base; as such, it is almost unique in Thailand.

Timing and Planning

The central zone is the most important and attractive; a sensible approach is to concentrate on it and on the main temples of the northern one since after a while the sights become repetitive. Moreover, the park's main and best restored attractions are right at the entrance, thus a feeling of "this visit is deteriorating" is almost inevitable after a few hours.

Another important part of such a visit would be a picnic. Simply, the water canals among the central zone ruins and the well tended grass covering extensive areas between the temples create a gorgeous environment for such an event. Food tastes better near a chedi and slowly flowing waters.

Ramkhamhaeng National Museum

The site's museum is in the central zone, near Wat Mahathat. Its main attraction is a replica of the famous Ramkhamhaeng stele, the oldest rendering of the Thai alphabet, which was developed from the Khmer one.

Tak

As often happens with remotetravel hubs, Tak has little to offer beyond its bus terminal; actually not even that, since the terminal is outside the town and across the highway. However, it is an almost inevitable stop in the way to Sukhothai or to a Thai visa renewal through Mae Sot. However, if arriving at a strange hour, downtown Tak is an easy ten minutes walk from the terminal and offers late coffees and snacks at its 7 Eleven branches as well as several basic guesthouses; no reservations are needed.

Mae Sot Tuktics

50 baht and 90 minutes west of Tak is Mae Sot on the Burmese border; small trucks and minibuses connect Tak's terminal with Mae Sot from 5:30 AM to 7 PM. Surprisingly for such a small town, it is connected directly with the Mo Chit bus terminal in Bangkok; this is the result of it being the most handy visa renewal site from Bangkok as well as being an important commercial site between Thailand and Myanmar.

As such, travelers' facilities abound in Mae Sot; it probably has more guesthouses and restaurants than Tak and Sukhothai combined, especially since staying overnight at the Burmese town of Myawaddy is not allowed. Recommending a specific guesthouse is not possible, since most of them are rather basic: few feature air conditioners and not all of them offer hot water. The ones far from the center are inconvenient and in bad shape. Thus, planning a fast visa renewal and returning at least to Sukhothai for the night is a wise tactic.

Tribe Hills have transformed Mae Sot into a busy trading post; Karen, Mon, Hmong and Burmese sell knickknacks all over the place. The only souvenirs of any value are probably the distinctive colored textiles of each group. The night market displays a rather eclectic choice of foods, with Indian and Burmese touches to the predominantly Thai menu and is the recommended spot for dinner, despite that several simple restaurants catering for tourists do exist..
During the hours in which the immigration booths at the border are open, tuk-tuks travel from Mae Sot there. Below the bridge connecting the town with Myanmar there is a heavy stone sign stating this is the "Westernmost Point in Thailand," though probably they meant the westernmost town.

Myawaddy

Following new immigration policies, 30-days Thai visas can be renewed through a short crossover to adjacent countries only two times in a row; afterwards a ninety days stay out of the country (or a change in the visa's category) is requested.

Myanmar is the most handy option; Cambodia and Laos issue more expensive and complicated visas; Malaysia is too far. Similarly to Thailand, Myanmar had adopted a visa-on-arrival policy, though here the visa is good only for the same day; the country must be left before sunset. They took Cinderella's tale too seriously.

The only requisite for getting that single day visa is crispy dollar notes; paying in Thai baht is possible, but the exchange rate is extremely unfavorable. Paying in kyats (pronounced "chats") is not possible at the Burmese immigration, but recommended in the market. However, buying (and selling the leftovers) kyats is difficult. Once leaving Myanmar and re-entering Thailand, a new visa is issued on the spot.

Drinking Chai and Solving a Riddle

A big market, a golden stupa, a few chai-and-samosas houses and tricycles offering tours to the surroundings is all Myawaddy has to offer, and that's not insignificant; the wonderful Burmese chai is hard to find elsewhere.

While in the US, I found a drink called "chai" everywhere; even Starbucks offered a version. Regardless the establishment, it never tasted like the one I knew from South East Asia.

I wondered about the difference, until in Santa Fe, at the Green Palace Teahouse I enjoyed a detailed explanation about tea and its qualities and tasted, among others, a cup of typical American chai. Suddenly the owner and chef said something about the "chai spice," and got my immediate attention. Drilling on the point, I found that chai in America is prepared with a spices mix added to the milk, instead of cooking tea and milk for a while.

After that, returning to Asia was inevitable.

193 temples can be visited nowadays in the Sukhothai ruins; optimistically, the name means "Dawn of Happiness."

Principalities and Kingdoms

Modern Thailand is the third Thai kingdom; to understand Sukhothai - the first one - some knowledge of the far past is necessary. Originally, Thais migrated south of Xishuangbanna in Yunnan as the result of the pressure created by Chinese-Han migrating south. The process was slow and resulted in a wide spread of settlements by closely related people, it took some time before the modern Thai identity evolved.

Early in their history, these groups were organized in city-states, usually called principalities; the Tai ones included Chiang Saen (founded in the early eight century) and Mueang Sua (modern Luang Prabang, founded in 728AC). The main Thai principalities were: Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok's new airport was named after it), Dvaravati, Lavo (modern Lopburi), Hariphunchai, Singhanavati, Pan Pan, Raktamaritika, Langkasuka, Srivijaya, Tambralinga, Lanna (modern Chiang Mai) and others. Slowly - through endless alliances and their shifts - a homogeneous culture began to emerge; attempts to consolidate it lead to the creation of a larger kingdom.

Sukhothai was the first large-scale Thai kingdom, and existed as such between 1238 and 1448AC. Its successor was Ayutthaya (1351-1767AC). After the destruction of the last by the Burmese, the modern Thai kingdom was born; it was founded in Thonburi, but moved in 1782 across the river to Bangkok. In 1932 it was transformed into a constitutional monarchy.

Kingdom of Sukhothai

The city of Sukhothai was part of the Angkor Khmer empire until 1238AC, when two Thai chieftains, Bang Klang Hao and Pha Muang, declared their independence and established a Thai-ruled kingdom; the first one became the first king of Sukhotai, calling himself Pho Khun Si Indrathit; this event is widely considered as the founding of the modern Thai nation.

Sukhothai expanded by forming mandala-style alliances with the other Thai principalities, and adopted Theravada Buddhism as the state religion. Intrathit was succeeded by his son Pho Khun Ban Muang, who was followed in 1278 by his brother, Pho Khun Ramkhamhaeng.

Under King Ramkhamhaeng the Great, the kingdom enjoyed its golden age; he is credited with designing the Thai alphabet, traditionally dated from 1283, the year the Ramkhamhaeng stone stele was written in the the earliest known Thai writing.

At its peak the kingdom stretched from Martaban (in modern Myanmar) to Luang Prabang (in Laos) and south to Nakhon Sri Thammarat, a territory larger than modern Thailand, although the mandala system implied a very decentralized entity.

After his death, Ramkhamhaeng was succeeded by his son, Loethai, and the kingdom began to disintegrate. The vassal kingdoms, first Uttaradit in the north, then the Laotian ones - Luang Prabang and Vientiane - liberated themselves from their overlord. In 1319 the Mon state to the west broke away, and in 1321 Lanna took over Tak. To the south the city of Suphanburi also broke free.

Meanwhile, Ayutthaya rose in strength; Sukhothai became a tributary state of Ayutthaya between 1365 and 1378. In 1378 King Thammaracha II of Sukhothai had to submit to this new power and in 1412 Ayutthaya installed a chief resident. King Thammaracha IV was installed on the throne by Ayutthaya; around 1430 he moved his capital to Phitsanulok. After his death in 1438AC the kingdom became a province of Ayutthaya.