Sukhothai Historical Park – Thailand
Sukhothai Historical Park is located 420km north of Bangkok. Sukhothai was the old capital city of the kingdom of Sukhothai during the 13th and 16th century.
By: thatdutchietravels
How to get to Sukhothai Historical Park
Bus: Direct bus from Bangkok – Sukhothai or Chang Mai – Sukhothai.
Train: Take the train to Phitsanulok and then the bus from Phitsanulok to New Sukhothai. More options like a direct taxi are available if you are willing to spend more.
The old capital is located 12km from New Sukhothai. The best way to get to the old capital is by the local tuk-tuk (truck/jeep with seats in the back). Which also works as a school bus at the end of the day, so be prepared to have a cozy ride. Ask at your hostel where it stops. There are no signs for the tuk-tuk’s, but mostly helpful locals are willing to wave a lost tourist in the right direction.
When you get to the old capital of Sukhothai, the best way to get around is by bike, foot or you can also take a tuk-tuk to the different city areas. I would recommend bike though the distances can be quite long. There are several bike rentals at the inner city entrance, that you can rent your bike from.
Sukhothai Historical Park Price
The old capital area is split into five different sections, the inner city, the North, West, East, and South city. It is 100 baths per area or 350 baths for all of them.
Keep in mind that the area is quite big and the tickets are just valid for one day. So a tip is to buy a ticket for the area you plan to visit in the entrance for that area.
Where to stay in Sukhothai
New Sukhothai has several hostels/guesthouses to choose from. Which are cheaper than the ones closer to the old capital. We stayed at “Sukhothai greenhouse” near a food market in new Sukhothai. It’s a busy place during the day, where you can buy your fresh fruit and watch the locals buying their fresh ingredients for the day.
There are street food and some more touristic restaurants around the center of New Sukhothai depending on what you prefer. Ps. When we were in Sukhothai there were a huge amount of birds. Watch out for these birds, they don’t warn you before they do their needs.
How much time will you need at Sukhothai Historical Park
Depends on if you like to see all five areas, if you get around by bike, walk or letting a tuk-tuk take you. And if you want to see just the main temples or want to explore every single little temple.
It can take a couple of hours or a couple days! We did two areas in one day walking. The inner-city and the East side. Do some research before you go to find out if you want to see all five sections.
When to visit Sukhothai Historical Park
Have a look at the weather, check the Asian holidays so not all the hostels are taken. The low and high season can affect the number of people that visit the old capital.
A tip is to bring a picknick so you do not need to leave the area to find restaurants during lunch because then you can have the temple for yourself and most restaurants are located near the entrance.
Tips
- Visit Wat Si Chum, in the Eastern city to see the biggest Buddha of Thailand.
- Wat Mahathat it’s one of the first temples you see when you enter the inner city. It has beautiful Buddha statues and a little lake in front of it.
- Wat Si Sawai one of the oldest temples located in the inner city.
- Do not buy turtles! People sell turtles to set them free in the lakes, setting them free may sound nice but they will likely just catch them after to sell them again.
- Show respect to the temples, do not climb on the Buddha’s or the temples, you can take awesome pictures without damaging ancient temples.
- Another tip is to have flip-flops so you can easily get your shoes on and off at every temple you enter/exit.
Why should Sukhothai Historical Park be on my bucket list ?
Because it’s a really cool place! And It is a capital of one of the biggest kingdoms in southeast Asia, with different temples and an interesting history. There are also a lot of good opportunity for beautiful photos!
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