Things to do in Sukhothai
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Sangkhalok Museum
This small but comprehensive museum is an excellent introduction to ancient Sukhothai’s most famous product and export, its ceramics. It displays an impressive collection of original 700-year-old Thai pottery found in the area, plus some pieces traded from Vietnam, Burma and China. The 2nd floor features examples of non-utilitarian pottery made as art, including some beautiful and rare ceramic Buddha statues.
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Fuang Fa
Pretend you’re a local in the know and stop by this riverside restaurant specialising in Sukhothai’s abundant and delicious freshwater fish. Try the Ъlah néua òrn tôrt grà·teeam, small freshwater fish deep-fried with garlic and served with ripe starfruit, or any of the numerous and delicious đôm yam–style soups. The English-language menu is limited, so be sure to ask about recommended dishes.
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Coffee Cup
If you're staying in the old city or are an early riser, come here for breakfast; the coffee is strong and the bread is fresh.
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Kuaytiaw Thai Sukhothai
Kuaytiaw Thai Sukhothai, about 200m south of the turn-off for Ruean Thai Hotel offers Sukhothai’s signature dish gŏo·ay đĕe·o sù·kŏh·tai, ‘Sukhothai-style noodles’, featuring a slightly sweet broth with different types of pork, ground peanuts and thinly sliced green beans.
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Ramkhamhaeng National Museum
A good starting point for exploring the historical park ruins is Ramkhamhaeng National Museum. A replica of the famous Ramkhamhaeng inscription, said to be the earliest example of Thai writing, is kept here among an impressive collection of Sukhothai artefacts.
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Sukhothai Ruins
The Sukhothai ruins are one of Thailand’s most impressive World Heritage Sites. The park includes remains of 21 historical sites and four large ponds within the old walls, with an additional 70 sites within a 5km radius.
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Ta Pui
Consisting of little more than a brick floor with a tin roof over it, Ta Pui claims to be the first shop in Sukhothai to have sold the famous noodle dish, 'Sukhothai’s gŏo·ay đĕe·o sù·kŏh·tai.'
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Poo Restaurant
Unfortunately named and deceptively simple, this restaurant offers a diverse menu of breakfasts, hearty sandwiches, Belgian beers and even a few Thai dishes.
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Jay Hae
You haven’t been to Sukhothai if you haven’t tried the noodles at Jay Hae, an extremely popular restaurant that also serves pàt tai and tasty coffee drinks.
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Chopper Bar
Both travellers and locals congregate from dusk till hangover for food, drinks, live music and flirtation at this place, within spitting distance of Sukhothai's tiny guest-house strip.
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Terrace & Trees
Directly behind the Sawasdipong Hotel, this new bar/restaurant features live music of varying quality and is one of the trendier places in town to put back a few.
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Sukhothai Suki-Koka
Specialising in Thai-style sukiyaki, this bright, homey place is popular for lunch. It serves plenty of Thai dishes but also does sandwiches and pasta.
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Wat Trapang Thong
Next to the museum, this small, still-inhabited wát with its fine stucco reliefs is reached by a footbridge across the large lotus-filled pond that surrounds it. This reservoir, the original site of Thailand's Loi Krathong festival, supplies the Sukhothai community with most of its water.
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Wat Si Sawai
Just south of Wat Mahathat, this Buddhist shrine (dating from the 12th and 13th centuries) features three Khmer-style towers and a picturesque moat. It was originally built by the Khmers as a Hindu temple.
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Wat Sa Si
Also known as 'Sacred Pond Monastery', Wat Sa Si sits on an island west of the bronze monument of King Ramkhamhaeng (the third Sukhothai king). It's a simple, classic Sukhothai-style wát containing a large Buddha, one chedi and the columns of the ruined wí·hăhn.
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Wat Saphan Hin
Located on the crest of a hill that rises about 200m above the plain, the name of the wát, which means 'stone bridge', is a reference to the slate path and staircase that leads up to the temple, which are still in place. The site is 3km west of the former city wall and gives a good view of the Sukhothai ruins to the southeast and the mountains to the north and south.
All that remains of the original temple are a few chedi and the ruined wí·hăhn, consisting of two rows of laterite columns flanking a 12.5m-high standing Buddha image on a brick terrace.
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Wat Phra Phai Luang
Outside the city walls in the northern zone, this somewhat isolated wát features three 12th-century Khmer-style towers, bigger than those at Wat Si Sawai. This may have been the centre of Sukhothai when it was ruled by the Khmers of Angkor prior to the 13th century.
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Wat Mahathat
Completed in the 13th century, the largest wát in Sukhothai is surrounded by brick walls (206m long and 200m wide) and a moat that is believed to represent the outer wall of the universe and the cosmic ocean. The chedi spires feature the famous lotus-bud motif, and some of the original stately Buddha figures still sit among the ruined columns of the old wí·hăhn. There are 198 chedi within the monastery walls – a lot to explore in what many consider was once the spiritual and administrative centre of the old capital.
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Wat Chetupon
Located 1.4km south of the city walls, this temple once held a four-sided mon·dòp featuring the four classic poses of the Buddha (sitting, reclining, standing and walking). The graceful lines of the walking Buddha can still be made out today.
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Wat Chedi Si Hong
Directly across from Wat Chetupon, the main chedi here has retained much of its original stucco relief work, which shows still vivid depictions of elephants, lions and humans.
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Wat Chang Lom
Off Hwy 12 in the east zone, Wat Chang Lom (Elephant Circled Monastery) is about 1km east of the main park entrance. A large bell-shaped chedi is supported by 36 elephants sculpted into its base.
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Terrace & Trees
Directly behind the Sawasdipong Hotel, this bar/restaurant features live music of varying quality and is one of the trendier places in town to put back a few.
reviewed
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Sukhothai Historical Park
The Sukhothai ruins are one of Thailand's most impressive World Heritage Sites. The park includes 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 r…
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Dream Café
A meal at Dream Café is like dining in a museum or an antique shop. Eclectic but tasteful furnishings and knick-knackery abound, staff are equal parts competent and friendly, and most importantly of all, the food is good. The helpful menu lays down the basics of Thai food, explaining what to order and how to eat it. Try one of the well-executed yam (Thai-style 'salads'), or one of the dishes that feature freshwater fish, a local speciality.
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Cycling Sukhothai
Belgian cycling enthusiast Ronny Hanquart offers a variety of fun and educational bicycle tours of the area. A resident of Sukhothai for nearly 20 years, his rides follow themed itineraries such as the Dharma & Karma Tour, which includes a visit to bizarre Wat Tawet, a temple with statues depicting Buddhist hell, or the Historical Park Tour, which includes stops at lesser-seen wát and villages. Personalised itineraries can also be arranged.
Ronny is based near Sabaidee House, and he also offers free transport for peopel who are his customers.
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