Things to do in Sukhothai

Long before the modern Thailand that we know today, about a thousand years ago, most of the land here was controlled by the Khmer Empire of Cambodia. But in 1238, a new kingdom began to rise in the north, one that was finally able to repel the might of the Khmer.

This new kingdom was called Sukhothai and it would become the first capital of Siam. Sukhothai expanded its power across much of Thailand and ruled for almost 200 years, until the kingdom of Ayutthaya rose up and became the next political capital of Siam.

When you visit today, you’ll discover there are so many things to do in Sukhothai. This city-state was not just powerful, it was also wealthy, and it created a magnificent centre of palaces, temples, and monasteries. Although none have survived completely intact since the capital’s decline in the 14th century, the most important monuments still paint a vivid picture of how Sukhothai once was.

Visiting Sukhothai today starts with an exploration of these historic temples. Some are in a historic fortified city centre where the king and nobility lived. Others are spread throughout the surrounding forest, amongst tranquil nature where monks would once have prayed and meditated in peace.

But you’ll also find that there are a lot of cultural activities in Sukhothai, where you can learn about the traditions and try your hand at some of the iconic art and religious practices.

Beyond that, some of the best things to do in Sukhothai offer you an authentic look into regional Thailand, away from the heavily touristed areas of Bangkok, the southern islands, or even Chiang Mai. There are plenty of facilities here to make a visit easy, but it feels much more relaxed.

At its apex, Sukhothai probably had almost 100,000 people living here. For the most part, they were happy people, with abundant rice paddies, fish in the river, and relative peace. The name Sukhothai even means ‘dawn of happiness’.

You can also see this in the Buddha statues that remain within the temples. The people here developed what is now called the ‘Sukhothai Style’ and one of its features is a Buddha who has a slight smile and arched eyebrows, which supposedly represent the happiness of the city’s residents.

The people who live here today tell me they’re also happy – that they like being in an important city, but one that’s not as hectic as Bangkok or Chiang Mai. As a visitor, you may not have to go to the modern city, though, because most of the interesting things to do in Sukhothai are around the old town from centuries ago.

This is where you’ll find the majority of the temples, many of the cultural experiences, and also a good selection of hotels and places to eat. The old town of Sukhothai is about 10 kilometres from the modern town, so it’s a fair commute otherwise (especially by bicycle).

So, with all that in mind, let’s have a look at how to spend a few days in Sukhothai, with my top suggestions for what to do in Sukhothai.

Sukhothai Historical Park (Central)

Let’s start at the Sukhothai Historical Park, the core of the World Heritage Site, and the reason that most visitors come here. It’s really the main attraction out of all the things to do in Sukhothai.

The first thing to understand is that the Sukhothai Historical Park is actually divided into five different sections – Central, Northern, Western, Southern, and Eastern. There’s a separate 100 B entrance fee for each of the Central, Northern, and Western zones (plus 10 B each time for your bicycle). The Southern and Eastern zones are free.

I’ll cover the other sections shortly, but I want to first focus on the Central zone because it’s where you’ll find most of the main temples of Sukhothai.

The centre of the Sukhothai Kingdom was once here, within the fortified walls that were 1.8 km long and 1.6 km wide. It’s where the king lived, in a grand palace that no longer exists. And it’s also where some of the most important temples in Sukhothai were built for important ceremonies and for the king to worship.

These are about half a dozen temples here, including Wat Sorasak and Wat Traphang Ngoen, which I’m not going to mention in great detail. But I do want to tell you about these most important sights:

Wat Mahathat

If you were to do just one thing in Sukhothai, this would be it. Wat Mahathat is the most important site in the city and it’s believed to be the place where Buddha’s relics were enshrined.

It’s a large temple that has the main chedi (Thai stupa) at the front in the shape of a lotus bud. Around it are 200 smaller chedis of different sizes that you can wander amongst as you explore.

Wat Sa Si

Wat Sa Si is probably the most scenic of the temples in this section because it’s set on an island in the middle of a large water reservoir. You’ll walk across a narrow bridge to reach it.

A statue of Buddha sits at the end of the rows of stone columns that would once have supported the roof of the assembly hall. The shape of the chedi is interesting because it’s Sri Lankan style, which shows the prevalence of Sinhalese Buddhism.

Wat Si Sawai

If you think Wat Si Sawai looks different to many of the other temples here, you would be right. It’s older than most of the others and was built in the Khmer style, with three tall prangs (towers) at the back.

Because the temple was founded before the Sukhothai Kingdom, it still has some Hindu images, including a Shiva image, but it was later converted into a Buddhist site.

Ramkhamhaeng National Museum

Although you’ll get a good sense of ancient Sukhothai from the temples, the most important items from these sights have been collected and put on display in the Ramkhamhaeng National Museum, opposite the Historical Park’s main entrance.

There’s a good collection of sculptures that lead you through the evolution of the cultural styles here and show how Sukhothai was connected to other parts of Asia.

One of the most significant items, here is the Ramkhamhaeng Inscription, a stone block engraved on all four sides with the story of Sukhothai, dated 1292. Not only is it a wealth of historical knowledge, it’s considered to be the first example of the Thai script.

The upstairs of the museum then has more exhibitions about the life in Sukhothai and other aspects like the ingenious water system. The entry fee is 150 B.

Other temples

As well as seeing the main temples in the Central Zone, I think it’s also worth visiting some of the outer zones of the Sukhothai Historical Park.

The Northern and Western zones each have significant sites that are amongst the best things to see in Sukhothai. The Southern and Eastern zones are less important and could be skipped – but they are free and so it may make sense to cycle through them at some point during your visit to Sukhothai.

Northern Historical Park

The best temple to visit in the Northern zone is Wat Si Chum – a must-see in Sukhothai. It’s famous for its huge 15-metre-high Buddha statue enclosed within four walls, which you can see as you arrive but doesn’t truly reveal itself until you go inside.

There’s a passageway up through the left wall that leads to an opening near the Buddha’s head. Legend says that the king once spoke through it to nervous soldiers, pretending to be Buddha and encouraging them to fight.

Nearby is Wat Phra Phai Luang, which appears to be on an island because it has a large moat around it. You can see stucco reliefs here that are similar to one on the main stupa at Wat Mahathat, as well as the remains of a building that once held four large Buddha sculptures in different poses.

And this is where you’ll also find Tao Thu Riang, the ancient kilns that were used to make ceramics that Sukhothai was famous for. I’ll tell you more about the ceramics soon, but it’s interested to see these large ovens that were close together and basically operated as the industrial zone of the historic city.

Western Historical Park

The Western part of the Sukhothai Historical Park feels even more tranquil than the main section – and that’s because it was. This is a forested area where the monks would live and meditate away from the political centre and the more ceremonial temples.

The most important site here is Wat Saphan Hin, a temple at the top of a 200-metre-high hill. It’s not large, with just a standing Buddha on a stone platform with two rows of columns, but you get a great view and it’s pretty atmospheric. You’ll need to walk up the steps to reach the top, but the king used to visit and come up by elephant!

Most of the other temples in this area (and there are around a dozen of them) are quite small and won’t be as dazzling as the large ones you’ve seen in the centre. But I do love the way they’re almost hidden amongst the trees of the forest. It’s a lovely bike ride and you won’t see many other tourists.

Southern Historical Park

In the south, you’ll find about eight temples but none of them is particularly large or significant (which is why there’s no entry fee for this area).

One temple of note, though, is Wat Chetuphon, which has the remains of a structure that would’ve have four Buddha statues in different poses on the cardinal points. You can see some of the figures still in place.

The historical sites here are a little spread out (Wat Chetuphon is about 1.5 km from the Central zone wall, for instance) but, again, it’s a nice bike ride.

Eastern Historical Park

Like the Southern section, the temples in the east are not relatively significant and there are none that I think you would regret not seeing.

The most interesting of them is Wat Tra Phang Thong Lang, which is known for its stuccoed reliefs depicting the story of Buddha on three sides of the mandapa building.

Unlike the southern temples, the Eastern section is closer to the main part of the Historical Park and many of the temples are actually next to hotels or restaurants that you might be going to. It’s quite easy just to see a few of them when you’re in the area.

THE BEST ACCOMMODATION IN SUKHOTHAI

I would recommend staying near the Sukhothai Historical Park… although you do get slightly cheaper rooms in the modern city.

BACKPACKER

Being in the modern city is a little inconvenient for sightseeing, but you can’t argue with the $5 dorm rooms at Rueang Sri SiRi Guest House!

BUDGET

You’ll get amazing value at OldTown Boutique House, which has lovely clean rooms just a short stroll from Sukhothai’s main sights.

BOUTIQUE

My favourite accommodation in the city is Legendha Sukhothai Hotel, which has traditional architecture and a great breakfast.

LUXURY

The most luxurious accommodation in Sukhothai is Sriwilai Sukhothai, with an incredible pool and beautiful views across the countryside.

This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For more info click here. You can see all the UNESCO World Heritage Sites I’ve visited here.