So, I finally decided to re-visit Sukhothai. It has been more than 20 years since I last visited the place, so this trip was long overdue. I took Bangkok Airways flight to their own airport in Sukhothai, opened just a few years ago. The flight landed on time around 4:30 Friday evening. I used the airport’s transfer service, since there isn’t any other option. My base for the next three days is the Legendha Sukhothai. It’s actually my second choice. First choice was the Le Charme, but R24 said it was full. There aren’t too many choices if you want to stay near the old city, so despite some rather negative reviews, I decided to chance the Legendha. On arrival, the resort doesn’t make a good first impression. The curb appeal of this place is near zilch. There’s a big parking lot bordered by a couple of ramshackle buildings. It’s hard to figure out where to check in, but someone soon appears to direct me to a counter in one of the buildings, which looks more like a construction office.

After a brief check-in process I’m escorted across a bridge over a canal, and into another world. A cluster of practically new Thai styled buildings – some teak and some white-washed plaster – sits in a well manicured garden. I’m shown past the good-sized pool to my room, which opens off the pool area. The room is very large, with wood floors and white walls, accented with areas of plain plaster and deep purple (it’s a little less gay than it sounds). There’s a large Thai day-bed and a couple of wicker chairs that are probably meant to be moved onto the porch if needed. It’s a very surprising, but far from perfect. There’s no safe, although you can deposit things at the office if needed, and the TV only has the free-to-air Thai channels. There’s no Internet in the room either, although there are a couple of computers next to the office for use at a reasonable charge. There’s signs of construction everywhere, so the transformation of this place is not complete. Maybe they’ll correct some of the shortcomings in the near future.

After checking out the room, I decide to head towards the old city, to see if it’s a reasonable walk, and also to see if there’s any place to eat outside the hotel. The Legendha is on the main road that leads right into the old city. It’s about a 15 minute walk at a good pace to reach the main entrance, but before that you pass through the walls of the old city, and between gate and the historical park entrance there are a lot of small restaurants, a few shops, and other services. I walk most off the way to the main gate, then select one of the restaurants for dinner. I decide to be a complete tourist and order Sukhothai noodles. These are rice noodles (kwit teeo) cut very narrow – think fettuccine – and served in a light broth, in my case with thin slices of pork and small balls of fried pork rind. The taste and appearance reminds me of pho. It really hits the spot, and costs on 70 Baht with a fresh squeezed lime juice.

Saturday morning, after an early breakfast (nothing special), I walk back to the old city and select one of the bike rental shops to obtain my transportation for the day. For the princely sum of 30 Baht I get a bike that is a bit short for me, and doesn’t really have brakes, but the seat is comfortable and my Timberlands still have plenty of braking power left in them. I manage to cross the main road and make my way to the main entrance of the historical park, where I pay 100 Baht for me to get in, plus 10 Baht for the bike. First stop is Wat Mahathat, the main temple of old Sukhothai. This is where the tourist brochure photos come from, with large seated Buddhas seen reflected in lotus ponds, standing Buddhas encased in narrow enclosures, and fantastic sound and light shows. More on them later.

There’s only a couple of small tour groups at Wat Mahathat while I’m there. Sukhothai does get big tourist buses, but they’re mostly shoot and run stops on the way to Chiang Mai. Very few make more than the one stop at Wat Mahathat before moving on out of town. I take plenty of pictures before moving on to see the King Ramkhamhaeng monument and the other temples of the city center such as Wat Sa Sri. Then I cross the main road to head towards Wat Phra Prai Luang, a large temple north of the old city walls, and older than Wat Mahathat. Just across the road I spot a large well preserved chedi, which turns out to be Wat Sorasak. The base of the chedi is ’supported’ but sculpted elephants, a motif that is repeated often in Sukhothai stupas. There’s a tree sporting bright orange flowers near the temple, which makes a great backdrop.

I move on through the walls, which on the north side are better preserved than the east side where I came into the city. Near Wat Phra Prai Luang is the tourist information center, which is a lovely Thai styled building, but is practically deserted. There’s nobody there to dispense information, but there is a very nice model of Sukhothai, better than the one in the National Museum near the park entrance.

Wat Phra Prai Luang is a large temple, surrounded by a wide moat. I decide to ride around it the long way, since I’m on the bike. There’s a slight breeze today, which the bike enhances to make for a cool journey. The temple was obviously large, but there’s not a lot of it left. I’m chatted up by an old monk, who speaks English quite well. He’s from another temple in the province, and is on his way to Bangkok.

Next I’m off to Wat Si Chum, a small temple with a very unique feature. A very large and elegant seated Buddha is encased by thick walls that leave very little room for worshipers. The thick walls have a narrow passageway up and around the image, with little windows allowing you to see just specific parts of the Buddha at a time. The passage is closed in the temple, but they’re attempting to reproduce the experience at the national museum in the old city. The mondop housing the Buddha has just a narrow slit for an entrance, which extends the full height of the building, making a very striking appearance.

From Wat Si Chum, I head off to the west of the old city, where the model in the information center shows a standing Buddha on a hill. I ride along the main road to Tak, past rice fields and other rural scenes. Soon the hills west of Sukhothai come into view, and I can start to make out the form of the Buddha on one of the hilltops. This is Wat Saphan Hin, which means ’stone bridge’. The ‘bridge’ in this case is a slate pathway that makes the climb up the hill slightly easier. A short way from the top is a stone platform on which stands a small lotus-bud chedi. Once you reach the top, it’s easy to see why many consider this Buddha, called Phra Attharot, one of the most beautiful images in Sukhothai. The face displays a peaceful strength that is quite rare.

After making my way back down the hill, I buy another bottle of water from the guard and get back on the road, which snakes around the base of the hills, past several more temples. These were ‘forest’ temples in the days of old Sukhothai, and they are in the midst of trees today. I’m beginning to tire, and get hungry, so I don’t stop and explore every pile of rocks. Eventually the road turns back towards the old city. At a sharp curve in the road, I do stop for a photo of Wat Mangkorn, shaded by large bodhi tree, then continue back into the old city.

I come upon Wat Traphang Ngoen, a small temple with a single elegant spired stupa. The next stop is Wat Si Sawai, a temple that was originally a Hindu shrine built during the Khmer period, before the founding of Sukhothai. There are three solid Khmer style prangs that still show some intricate details.

Next I want to head south of town, but I’m getting hungry, and as I head out through the main park entrance, I notice there’s a number of food stalls among the souvenir stands next to the entrance, so I stop for a quick bite to eat.

South of the old city are a string of temples, some of which were once very important. The sun is now high and it’s getting hot. It seems like I’m having to ride a lot further than I thought to the next place, but I’m soon rewarded with the sight of Wat Chetuphon. You have to use a bit of imagination, but this may well be one of the most beautiful temples in Sukhothai. The eye is quickly drawn to a large mondop near the center of the complex. On the wall of the mondop facing east is the remains of a walking Buddha statue. The image no longer has a head, but it’s still very sublime, and a very rare pose. The other three sides of the mondop also have Buddha images, each in a different pose. The west side has a more typical standing Buddha. Another unique feature of the temple is the outer wall, which is made from slate that gives it the look of wood.

Across the road from Wat Chetphon is Wat Chedi Si Hong. It’s not as impressive as Wat Chetuphon, but there are some interesting stucco decorations around the base of the chedi. Further along the road that runs to the west, the tall slender stupa of Wat Si Phichit Kirati Kalayaram soars out of a rice field. I follow the road around the outer wall and turn back into the city through the west gate. On the way I pass Wat Traphang Thong, the only one of the old temples within the walls that is still an active place of worship.

My last stop is the Ramkamhaeng National Museum, near the park entrance. The museum is small, and a big part of it closed for renovation, so there isn’t much to see. I return the bike and book a seat for tonight’s sound and light show. It’s put on by the local drama school, and is presented the first Saturday of every month during the cool season, from October to April. I have time to get back to my room, shower and change before returning for the show.

On my way back to the old city for the show, I spot a weekly market, what might best be described as a swap meet. I have time, so I decide to take a look. There’s a number of things on sale, mostly from the back of pickups. Although there’s one stall that’s a large semi truck that has sides which open up to reveal a fully stocked hardware store, with the most complete selection of power tools I’ve ever seen in Thailand. I resist the primal male urge to buy a belt sander (power tools, arr…arr…arr…) and move on.

The show admission includes dinner, which is a sort of picnic buffet, served on the banks of the lake where you can watch the sun set behind Wat Sa Sri. The show is basically a historical pantomime with a Thai narration, but it’s still enjoyable, set against the dramatic background of the temple, lit by floodlights.

Posted by michael under Just back from...
Tags: Historical Sites • Sukhothai • Thailand
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