Sukhothai

The 13th-century capital where Thai script and art took shape: lotus-bud chedis, seated Buddhas and lily ponds across a UNESCO historical park, quieter and greener than Ayutthaya. Stay in Old Sukhothai beside the park, not in the new town 12 km away. A natural stop between Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

Highlights

• Wat Mahathat at sunrise
• Giant seated Buddha of Wat Si Chum
• Cycling the central zone
• Wat Sa Si on its lotus pond
• Night illumination of the park
• Ramkhamhaeng National Museum
• Si Satchanalai day trip
• Sukhothai noodles

Things to do

• Sunrise bicycle ride to Wat MahathatMorning · 3h
• Wat Si Chum giant Buddha (north zone)Morning · 1h 30m
• Ramkhamhaeng National MuseumAfternoon · 1h 30m
• Western zone hilltop temples by bikeAfternoon · 2h 30m
• Si Satchanalai Historical Park day tripMorning · 5h
• Evening at the lit-up ruins & night marketEvening · 2h

Tours & tickets

When to go

Best time: November – February

• Songkran (Thai New Year water festival) — Three days of nationwide water fights, biggest around Chiang Mai's old-city moat, Bangkok's Silom and Khao San Road, and Pattaya, where it runs on to about 19 April. Expect to be soaked anywhere outdoors: carry phones and passports in a dry bag. Buses, trains and flights sell out as Thais travel home; book two months ahead.
• Loy Krathong · 24 Nov — On the full moon of the twelfth lunar month, people float candle-lit krathong baskets on rivers and ponds. Sukhothai's historical park holds the oldest celebration, with light shows over the ruins; Bangkok's riverside piers get very crowded. Hotels in Sukhothai and Chiang Mai fill weeks ahead.
• Buddhist holy days (Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asahna Bucha) · Visakha Bucha 31 May; Asahna Bucha and Buddhist Lent 29–30 Jul — Candle-lit processions round the temples at dusk, worth seeing in Chiang Mai and Ayutthaya. Alcohol may not be sold anywhere, bars included, for 24-48 hours (hotels and airport duty free excepted); the Full Moon Party moves a night.