Sukothai is Thailand’s first capital, having been the seat of the Sukothai kingdom from the mid-13th century to the mid-15th century. While it is no longer a major urban centre, Sukothai is still a fascinating ancient city to explore. It’s divided into several zones with the Central zone being the largest, and the North zone immediately above it. The West zone is a little further away, featuring several sites on top of small hills or inside light forest. To the south are several ruins which lie on both sides of a road that runs through a village.
The ruins in the West and south zones are smaller and less renovated than the ones in the Central zone, but it’s still worth it to cycle out to see these sites and enjoy the scenery. The serenity of the setting is why these temples were used as meditation sites by monks. The West zone site lies on the edge of a forest, as well as agricultural fields and farms.
Having explored the Central and North in my previous post, here are the major sites of the West and south zones that I visited. Among the most interesting and attractive sites in the West are Wat Saphan Hin, the most important temple, and Wat Khao Phra Bat Noi, which features a chedi in front of the ruins of a viharn, and a giant round octagonal chedi in the back. Both are located on top of small hills. The south’s largest site is Wat Cetuphon, which features a towering block with a headless Buddha carved onto its front. A little further to the south of the West zone is a pleasant dam, which makes for a nice diversion.
Note: The Central, North and West zones require separate entrance fares, while the south zone is free. See a map of the entire Sukothai historical park here (also at the bottom of this page).
View from atop one of the hills in the West zone
Wat Saphan Hin
Wat Saphan Hin from below
Wat Khao Phra Bat Noi’s giant octagonal chedi
Thewalai Mahakaset, a former shrine
Wat Tuk
Saritphong Dam
Wat Cetuphon, the largest site in the southern zone
One of the biggest village houses in the south zone
