Ayuthaya and sukhothai.
HelloJust wondering if a day trip would be enough to visit Ayuthaya and 2 days enough to visit Sukhotai. Also if anyone knows the best way to get from Bangkok to Sukhotai, Bangkok Airways is rather expensive and Nok Air would leaves us in Phitsanulok, so was wondering how difficult is to get from Phitsanulok to Sukhotai.
Any suggestion on what to do or how to visit both places would be greatly appreciated
Thanks
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Less than 20 minutes from Phitsanulok to Sukhothai ? Shows your great knowledge of Thailand.4
Take the train to Ayuthaya from Bangkok. It's 3rd. Class, very inexpensive, eliminates the gridlock issue, and gets you there in about an hour. Plus there are loads of departures each day to choose from.Consider spending the night in Ayuthaya, and then continuing by train (or bus) to Sukhothai the next morning. That way you can see the temples in Ayuthaya lit-up in the evening. Very nice! There are lots of good places to stay there, and it's a nice change from Bangkok.
If temples are your thing, then don't miss Si Satchanalai just north of Sukhothai. It's possible to see both Sukhothai Historical Park and Si Satchanalai in one long day, but you'll need your own transport. Rent a motorbike in Sukhothai. They're cheap, traffic between places is very light, each place is well-signed in both Thai and English, and the roads are great.
Old Sukhothai has a great, inexpensive guest house right across the street from the historical park (Old City Guest House), but the town itself is pretty dead during the evenings. In New Sukhothai there are more sleeping options, as well as a decent night market. It's not a bad place to hang around in for a couple of days. Transport between New Sukhothai and Old Sukhothai is inexpensive and frequent.
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I spent a week in Phitsanulok in May visiting a friend who lives there, and I had an incredible non-touristic time! I stayed in a hotel about 15 minutes walk from the center so I was out of the hustle bustle but near enough to everything. The hotel (called some sort of garden resort) was air conditioned, clean, friendly, with a wonderful breakfast of authentic Thai rice soup, cost only 500 Bht per night, and I was the only westerner there! I was on my own a few nights and just walked down to a nearby open air cafe/bar with nonstop live music (a solo singer/musician, great ambience) and enjoyed watching the city life and the other local clients while being served my beers at my table (they have this lovely custom of placing your drink orders on a mini table next to your table, and a waiter/waitress refills your glass when its empty).Not saying you should go out of your way to spend time in Phitsanulok because it has not much to offer outside of being a modern city with a cosmopolitan flair but far smaller than Bangkok. But its not a bad option if you get stuck there, to see what Thailand is really like outside of the tourist enclaves.
By the way, what I experienced during that week with regards to food is amazing! Away from the tourist spots you find incredible food for under half what a westerner would normally pay.
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I did a day trip to Ayuthaya and didn't find it long enough. I would have liked more time to slow down at the temples and just spend more time. If you enjoy temples and history, and you have enough time, spending a night there would be better. It's easy enough to get there from Bangkok by train and very cheap too.Cheers,
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wondering if a day trip would be enough to visit Ayuthaya and 2 days enough to visit Sukhotai
'Enough' has to be one of the most useless words to use in a question like this.
Some people are satisfied with even a half-day tour and all that a half-day can offer.
Other people want a more comprehensive look around and 2-3 days at either location might not satisfy them. Si Satchanalai, for example, can be visited from Sukhothai and is worth a day on its own.
My overall impression, though, is that for the people who even ask this sort of question the answer would be 'yes' -- enough.
As an alternative way of thinking, scrap the word 'enough' and simply try to make the best of the time you have (assuming it is limited).
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wondering if a day trip would be enough to visit AyuthayaYes.
the best way to get from Bangkok to Sukhotai
Government bus or train.
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#6 they have this lovely custom of placing your drink orders on a mini table next to your table, and a waiter/waitress refills your glass when its emptyUsually a waitress, and an attractive one at that. Makes the dining experience sooooooo much more enjoyable than that back "home"!
In the old days, they'd go down on their knees while pouring the drinks, but that seems to be a custom that has ended. Perhaps still in really expensive restuarants.
Don't forget to tip her, as they make sod all.
