Sukhothai in Thailand: the complete guide

I’ve decided to take some time to go back to the pieces I wrote about my trips to Southeast Asia, and in particular to the famous Land of Smiles, Thailand. Lately, I realise I had somewhat forgotten them in order to focus on French Polynesia. However, I must admit that I sometimes like to go back in time, especially to 2013, the year I visited the historic site of Sukhothai. If you are preparing your trip and you don’t know where to go in Thailand, this is, for me, a must.

All lovers of Asian history will enjoy discovering this magnificent site, which was the capital of the first Thai kingdom. I won’t give you a detailed history lesson on the subject, as I don’t know enough about it. In any case, when visiting Thailand, you’ll often find that it is a must-see stop on the way to Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai, further north. It’s a very beautiful place to pause during your journey, a little cultural break, you could say…

So, what’s on the schedule for a day, or even a few days if you have the time, in this magnificent place? Well, there are imposing temple ruins, various monuments, ponds filled with lotus flowers and impressive Buddhas, to name just a few. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that in this article I am talking about the old city of Sukhothai, the one everyone visits, and not the new city, which seems to be of very limited interest. In the next few paragraphs, I will also talk about the temples of Si Satchanalai Historical Park! So, let’s go!

By the way, I almost forgot: if you’re travelling through Thailand right now and looking for outdoor activities there, I recommend this great website.

A few historical facts to help you learn a little more about this place:

• The city, initially considered a Khmer city, like Angkor, was founded in 1238 by Prince Inthradit. It is considered the first capital of the Kingdom of Siam.
• The city lasted until the end of the 13th century and was conquered by the Kingdom of Ayutthaya in 1438,
• In 1977, major restoration work was carried out on the old Khmer city,
• In 2003, the site was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

From Europe, it is really very easy to find cheap flights to the country’s capital, Bangkok. If you are flexible, you can find cheap flights from Paris, London, Madrid and other major cities from around €350.
From the United States, prices are almost identical. There are flights directly to Bangkok, Phuket or Chiang Mai for $350/400, again if you are flexible.

In any case, I highly recommend searching for your cheap flights on this flight comparison site, which I have been using for a very long time now. It’s a reliable way to travel cheaply!

To give you an idea, it costs me more to go to the Marquesas Islands from Tahiti, about €550, than to take a Paris-Bangkok flight. If you are flexible, you can find flights from France for only €350 to €400.

For our Canadian friends, there are also cheap flights from Canada to Thailand, as long as you can be flexible, starting at around $500.

If you are already in Thailand, or if you have just arrived, there is a good chance you will pass through Bangkok to get to Sukhothai. Here, I would say you have 3 options. These are listed from the cheapest to the most expensive, with a small reminder: 40 Thb = about €1.

• By bus: from the North Terminal, Mo Chit, allow about 7 hours by bus for a trip from Bangkok to Sukhothai. Expect to pay around 400 baht, about €10. You might also, as in my case, be interested in stopping over in Ayutthaya, Lopburi and Phitsanulok on the way. In my case, I had just returned from a visit to the west of the country, not far from the Burmese border, Sangkhlaburi and Kanchanaburi, and I had no choice but to return to the Thai capital.

• By train: Sukhothai is not directly accessible by train, but you can take a train from Bangkok to Phitsanulok, 5 to 7 hours, then take a bus to Sukhothai from there, 40 Thb. Expect to pay between 150 and 800 Thb depending on the train class you choose. I know, it’s a very wide range!

• By air: as far as I know, few travellers choose this option. In addition, you will have to get to the airport outside the city to take your flight. Allow around €50 one way from Bangkok to Sukhothai, with Bangkok Airways, for example. For travellers in a hurry, the flight only takes an hour, but the experience is, in my opinion, still much less interesting than taking the sleeper train or the bus!

So, a few words about getting around the old city. Ideally, you would find accommodation close to the temples, but this is not always easy. Personally, I ended up sleeping in the new city of Sukhothai and then being dropped off by minibus, 30 Thb/person, at the city’s historical park. Between you and me, it’s not the best option, and it would be much better to stay in one of the small guesthouses in the old town. You’ll find my selection further down in this article!

Everyone will choose the option that suits them best, of course, but I would advise you to take the shuttle, if you can, to the old town, as there is not much of interest to see between the old and new towns. Once there, you can rent bicycles for 30 Thb/person for the day, which is definitely the best way to discover the area. Visiting everything on foot is, I believe, too complicated. In fact, there are a number of temples in the centre of town that you can visit on foot, but those outside the town are a bit too far away…

I remember that when I was there, I visited the centre of the park on foot in the morning, then got on my bike and rode out to see 4 other areas outside it!

For those of you who, like me, have the motivation, the time or the desire to spend an extra day in the area, you should not miss the temples of Si Satchanalai, located about 50 km from the old town. I’ll tell you about these famous temples further down the page. To get there, you can consider taking a minibus from the city of Sukhothai, 50 Thb/person, 1 hour, to Si Satchanalai. You can also consider renting a motorbike. Once there, renting a bike, 30 Thb/day, is, I believe, still the best option. You may also want to try getting around by tuk-tuk!

I don’t have the statistics to hand, but I would say that the fact Sukhothai is not on a direct train route would suggest that it is less visited than the famous city of Ayutthaya, which is also closer to Bangkok. Which one did I prefer, and which one do I think you should visit? I’ll tell you about that below.

First, I wanted to talk to you about the more classic temples, those in both the central part of the town and the surrounding areas. Very few adventurers attempt to go to Si Satchanalai Park, which is a pity because it is very beautiful.

It’s probably the central area of Sukhothai that has the most beautiful temples. My favourites? Wat Si Sawai and Wat Sa Si.

The northern section is also very popular thanks to the presence of Wat Si Chum, a temple surrounding a magnificent Buddha, 12 m wide and 35 m high. He alone is worth visiting the area for. There is also Wat Phra Pai Luang.

The western and eastern sections also have some very beautiful temples, although they are less known and less visited by tourists. It’s the perfect place to spend a few moments alone, or almost alone, away from the crowds that gather in the central area. In the western area, you also get superb views of the surrounding Thai countryside and its magnificent rice fields…

I did not go to the southern part, which seems to be home to older and much less well-preserved Thai temples and ruins. This section is free of charge.

We also decided to go to Si Satchanalai Park, about 50 km from the city. At the time, we had 2-month visas, which gave us plenty of time to visit Thailand at a leisurely pace, without having to rush through all our sightseeing. I must say that I wasn’t disappointed by my visit here at all.

The park has a very beautiful and special atmosphere. It feels a bit like being in an Indiana Jones movie. The temples are in worse overall condition than those in the tourist areas, but I found the general atmosphere in Si Satchanalai Park much better. You hardly see anyone here, and you can walk around freely all day, or sit down and enjoy some Thai food. Here are a few pictures of the walk to tempt you!

As in most areas of Thailand, it is better to travel to Sukhothai between October and March from a weather perspective. However, nothing is really set in stone when it comes to the climate, and if you don’t mind risking a little rain, you might consider going a little earlier, in August or September, when you’ll have the advantage of avoiding the tourist crowds that come to the area, especially around Christmas.

Please note that it may also be fun to consider going to Sukhothai for one of the festivals held during the year. I wasn’t that fortunate, but I’m sure it would be worth going if you have the chance. After a quick look online, I found that the Loy Krathong Festival of Lights, held every year in November, sounds like it could be really nice!

If you are in Sukhothai for a couple of days and are looking for somewhere to stay, I recommend staying in the old town, so that you are as close as possible to the temples. The new town is located quite far away and is not really very interesting. Below, you’ll find a selection of the best guesthouses and other beautiful places to stay near the sites. I have gathered information on those I know personally, those recommended to me by friends during recent visits, and a few I simply happened to hear about too!

The whole park is open from 6 am to 6 pm every day. As for the price, Sukhothai is one of the few areas where there is no single ticket covering all the sites, so you have to pay for each visit individually, 100 Thb/person. You will also need to add 10 Thb/bicycle if, like me, you want to rent one.

A little piece of advice from a photographer, and for those who want to avoid the crowds: as always, be sure to get up early and, if you can, get to the park first thing in the morning when it opens. I believe that’s the best time. As for the light, you will enjoy beautiful soft light shining on the temples and you’ll also avoid all the tourist buses! Going back in the late afternoon, around 5-5:30 p. m., is not a bad idea either, for the same reasons.

Most of you will only do a classic half-day tour of the central area, but if you like temples and old stone ruins, I thoroughly recommend spending a whole day exploring all the areas of the old town. The temples of Si Satchanalai, outside the town, also deserve a full day’s visit because of their remoteness, the fact that they are just as beautiful as those in the central area, and of course because of the temples that feel like something out of an Indiana Jones movie.

Personally, I enjoyed walking around the temples, and frankly, I would recommend them to anyone passing through the area. The region is fairly flat and therefore perfect to explore by bike. I know I’m repeating myself, but do yourself a favour and go either early in the morning or later in the day, in the early evening, to really appreciate your surroundings.

I very much enjoyed both Si Satchanalai Park and Sukhothai, but it was impossible to visit both places in one day. If you have the time, either because you’re on a world tour or simply because you want to make the most of being in this amazing place, I recommend going there without any preconceptions. Even though I wasn’t really a fan of ancient temples when I started my journey, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Nonetheless, Sukhothai remains, for me, an unmissable place to visit on the road to the Golden Triangle, and I confess that I prefer it to Ayutthaya. For those who are interested, you can fly to the heavenly beaches of Phuket, Ko Samui, Krabi and others from Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai, further north, for less than €20…

So, I hope you enjoyed this little walk around these temples and that this article has inspired you to plan your own visit. If you have any comments or remarks, don’t hesitate to leave me a little message! If you are planning a trip to Thailand, I invite you to read my 30 tips for a cheap trip to Thailand.

See you soon.

Written by Sylvain PONS

In 2012-2013, Mélanie and I went on a tour of Southeast Asia, spending over 3 months in total discovering Thailand and all that the country has to offer!

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