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Visiting Sukhothai – Old Capital of Thailand

Visiting Sukhothai

Sukhothai is a city located in Thailand. At one point in time, it was the capital of Thailand. Sukhothai Historical Park is a popular attraction site that many tourists visit when in this region. Sukhothai Historical Park is basically made up of the ruins of Sukhothai. Inside the city wall, there are 190 ruins.

Sukhothai Historical Park

You can view the historical park by taking a bicycle ride. This is a good way to view the entire park and its ruins. Or you can consider taking a guided tour. A guided tour offers you the chance to see and learn about the historical park from a person who is very familiar with the park and its ruins.

This historical park is a must-see because of the rich history this area contains. The Sukhothai Kingdom existed several centuries ago. The Kingdom lasted from 1238 to 1438. Monuments were built here by the people during this time. The monuments that survived exist in the Sukhothai Kingdom today. These monuments are the reasons this historical park is such a major attraction site. Expect to see the Ta Pha Daeng shrine, Wat Phra Phai Luang and Wat Sisawai. These monuments tell the history of the region and the kingdom that once ruled here.

Traveling with your family

Consider Thailand as a place for vacation. Thailand is a tourist-friendly country. There are many things tourists can do here. Visiting the city of Sukhothai is a good way for you to learn about the historical park. If you so happen to be traveling with your family, then look into the family tours offered in Sukhothai. The family tours provided here are great ways the entire family can have with each other. A guided tour of the city is something the kids will enjoy and it saves time on getting the chance to view the entire city.

How to get there?

Sukhothai only has a bus station, but the city can be easily reached from the North, South, East, and West.

From Mae Sot

Minibusses run regularly from the station behind the market. The journey takes about 3 hours, passing through Tak on the way.
From Phitsanulok: Frequent buses operate from the main bus terminal and take about 1 hour for the 58 km trip.

From Bangkok

  • If you’re traveling with your family it would be a good idea to get a tour from Bangkok heading there with a guide but getting there on your own is pretty easy as well.
  • By Bus: There are direct buses from Bangkok Mochit Terminal which takes 7 hours, including some stops at Bus Terminal of major cities on the way.
  • By Train: Take the (express) train (7 hours) to Phitsanulok and go by bus from there (1 hour).
  • From Chiang Mai: Buses from the main bus terminal take about 4 hours. The cheaper local buses make many stops and take about 5 hours.

Getting around

The best way to see the ruins in the Sukhothai National Historic Park is by bicycle. These can be rented from a shop opposite the main park entrance.

The purple #1 songthaew travels to and from the bus station, which is about 3 km out of town. They run the length of Thanon Charodwithitong.

The large blue songthaew to Old Sukhothai leaves from a bus stop on Thanon Charodwithitong about 100 meters west of the bridge. It stops about 750 meters from the entrance to the central zone of the historic park.