Ancient Sukhothai - the First Capital of Thailand - world Heritage Site 2023

Sukhothai is known as the first capital of Thailand, dating back as far as 1238 AD. Sukhothai – ‘ Dawn of happiness’ in Thai, was the capital until 1365 when the armies of the Ayutthaya kingdom invaded and forced the reigning king to submit to a new power.

The capital was moved to Ayutthaya and so began the decline of Sukhothai. In the 18th century, King Rama the first founded a new Sukhothai about 12 kilometers from the old Sukhothai, and old Sukhothai was completely abandoned.

The Sukhothai Historical Park ruins are one of Thailand’s most impressive World Heritage sites. The park includes the remains of 21 historical sites and four large ponds within the old walls, with an additional 70 sites within a 5km radius.

The architecture of Sukhothai temples is most typified by the classic lotus-bud chedi, featuring a conical spire topping a square-sided structure on a three-tiered base. Some sites exhibit other rich architectural forms introduced and modified during the period, such as bell-shaped Sinhalese and double-tiered Srivijaya chedi.

Despite the popularity of the park, it’s quite expansive and solitary exploration is usually possible. Some of the most impressive ruins are outside the city walls so there is much more to see than just the main park.

Due to its remote location, Sukhothai sees a lot fewer tourists than Ayutthaya. It has in fact remained pretty under the radar, avoiding being bunched in with the more traditional “Thailand Bucket list” spots.

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