“Sukhothai Historical Park, The World Heritage of Siam”  

            As for this trip, we’d like to recommend you to learn about history of Sukhothai at the Sukhothai Historical Park or Sukhothai Ancient City. The historical park here was declared by UNESCO as the World Heritage together with the Sri Satchanalai Historical Park and the Kampaengphet Historical Park on the name of “The Sukhothai historical city and the peripheral cities”. Inside area of the park there are many significant archaeological sites and antiques which are really worthy to be maintained for a national honor.

            The Sukhothai Historical Park is distant from the city hall of Sukhothai along highway no.12 in the west about 12 kilometers. There is a highway built in the heart of the city from its eastern side to its western side. When passing through the old city zone, we can see many styles of magnificent steeples and sacred viharns. Besides, city wall of Sukhothai is located in Muang Kao District, which is a square shape with three layers of soil. It’s built by digging soil to fill on the ground as the wall. The dug area then becomes a moat for utilizing and becomes a water wall with two layers. The city wall from the north to the south is 2,000meters long and the western side is 1,600 meters long.             The old city has four city gates. The northern gate is called “Pratu Sarn Luang”. The southern gate is called “Pratu Namo”. The eastern gate is called “Pratu Kampaeng Hak” and the western gate is called “Pratu Auh”.             Outside the ancient city wall within a range of about 5 kilometers, there are important archaeological sites about 70 sites, which it is believed that they were built for Buddhism and Brahmanism. They were renovated and became the World Heritage in 2537 B.E. Later the Sukhothai Historical Park is regarded as a national prestige we, Thai people, are proud of and is like a precious treasure that should be reserved from generation to generation. There are several interesting and significant archaeological sites and antiques inside and outside the old city walls. Are you ready? If so, let’s go to see!!!

            Beginning with Wat Maha That, it is a large temple where is located in the heart of old city. The temple was built during the reign of King Sri Intharathit. There are 200 pagodas in the temple. It is the important temple of Sukhothai Kingdom. There is a main pagoda with Phum Khao Binth style, named ‘Chedi Maha That’, which is real Sukhothai-styled architecture surrounded by 8 pagodas on the same base. They are stupas made of laterite (or ‘Prang Silalaeng’ in Thai) which stands at the four directions and ‘Sri Wichai’ mixed with Langka-styled pagodas made of bricks stands at its corners. In the eastern side on the main pagoda there are a large viharn made of laterite and a base that used to have the biggest bronze Buddha image of Thailand to be placed on that named “Phra sri Sakkayamuni”. Now it is placed at Wat Suthat temple in Bangkok. In the northern and southern sides of the Chedi Maha That there are standing Buddha images in arched room on the pagoda ( or ‘Sum Phra’ in Thai), named ‘Phra Attharot’ and in the south there is also a bar of stone, called ‘Khom Dam Din’, that was found here as well. here as well.

            Another archaeological site is ‘Wat Phra Pai Luang Temple’ where is outside of the city wall in the north. The temple is a large ancient remain that was ranked as the no. 2 less important than Wat Maha That. The ‘Phra Pai Luang’ temple is surrounded by three moats, which there are three stupas with Lopburi-styled architecture made of laterite, standing as the main stupa of the temple. We can see a decorative design of molded limes in the northern side of the stupa. In front of the stupa there are ruins of the viharn base. As for its sculptural arts, there are lime-molded Buddha images, placed in a square Buddhist building (or ‘Mon Dop’ in Thai) and arched rooms of the stupa, in such postures as standing, sitting, walking, sleeping, etc., which most of them were ruined.

            The next place is ‘Wat Sri Chum’ temple where is distant from Phra Pai Luang temple in the west about 800 meters. In this temple there is a Buddha image in style of ‘Subduing-Mara’ posture, named ‘Phra Atchana’. As  for its viharn, it is square-shaped like a pavilion (or ‘Mon Dop’ in Thai), whose roof was ruined entirely and remained only 4 sides of its walls that are laid by bricks and plastered densely. At the southern wall there is an access that we can go into it and can step up along narrow stairs to a wall beside the ‘Phra Atchana’ Buddha image. Along the wall inside the wall cavity there are ancient mural paintings, aged nearly 700 years. In addition, on a ceiling along cavity of stairs there is a large plate of slate carved as decorative designs about 50 pictures.

            When walking along the cavity of stairs, you’ll be able to reach on roof of the viharn, which you can see a panoramic view of the Sukhothai old city. Do you know ‘Wat Sri Chum’ has anything hidden? That is, if considering thoroughly, it’s found that kings in ‘Phra Ruang’ royal family are good at encouraging, comforting their warriors’ mind as well as other abilities. This is because, building the wall beside the ‘Phra Atchana’ Buddha image, there is a creation of small access. If someone sneaks into the wall cavity through the access; then the one reaches the accesses beside the Buddha image and utters loudly from the access, one who is in the viharn may think that the ‘Phra Atchana’ is speakable. It’s because that voice sounds resonantly and quite dreadfully.

            Furthermore, ‘Wat Trapang Ngoen’ is another place to visit, which this temple is another significant archaeological site. The word ‘Trapang’ means ‘a pool’ or ‘a swamp’. It’s located beside ‘Trapang Ngoen’ pool in the west. There is a ‘Phum Khao Binth’ style or budding lotus-shaped pagoda as its principal pagoda. At the middle part of the pagoda (or ‘Ruan That’ in Thai), there are standing lime-molded Buddha images on its four directions. In front of the pagoda there is seven-room viharn (or ‘Viharn Jed Hong’ in Thai), whose base and posts were built by laterite bricks. Inside the viharn there is a lime-molded Buddha image in ‘Subduing-Mara’ posture to be placed on. In the middle area of the pool (or ‘Trapang’) it is a small-sized island, which there is variety of lotuses surrounding there and there is a Buddhist sanctuary (or ‘Ubosot’ in Thai) locating on the island.

            Next place is ‘Wat Sapan Hin’ temple where is located outside the cit wall in its west. This temple is on a small hill that is about 200 meters high. Its pathway is paved with thin plates of slate and ended at the temple court. There is here a viharn made of bricks and its posts are built with laterite, arranged as 4 lines and 5 rooms. Inside the viharn there is a Buddha image with 12.50 meters high in gesture of fearlessness and granting protection, named ‘Phra Attharot’.

            Outside the city wall on the east there is an old temple, named ‘Wat Chang Lom’. The temple has a round-shaped pagoda in style of Lanka as principal pagoda of the temple. Around the base of the pagoda it is decorated with lime-molded, half-length elephant statues. In front of the viharn base it is built with bricks. And there is a base of low wall surrounding the pagoda that is built by means of laying bricks and covering it with plaster. Besides, there is a temple, named ‘Wat Trapang Thong Lang’. Its prominent art work is a square spired pavilion, made of bricks, and its exterior wall is placed with lime-molded Buddha images as a scene of which Lord Buddha descended from the Heaven of Indra (or ‘Dao Wa Dung’ in Thai); a scene of which Lord Buddha taught his father and the ‘Sakkayaratcha’ kings; and a scene of which Lord Buddha taught his wife, Phra Nang Pimpa. All of them are regarded as an artistic masterpiece of Sukhothai period.

            What’s more, outside the city wall in the south, there is an old temple, named ‘Wat Chedi See Hong’, which its base has magnificent lime0molded decorative designs as pictures of a lion riding an elephant as well as god and goddess holding flower vase. Furthermore, there is an old temple, named ‘Wat Chetuphon’, which here there is a square spired pavilion (or ‘Mon Dop’ in Thai), made of slate and placed with a four-posture Buddha image that is in postures of sitting, standing, walking, and sleeping. Inside the pavilion it is placed with a Buddha image which is built with such materials as bricks, stones, slate, and laterite. And a stone inscription on the 58^th line that was inscribed in 2057 B.E. was found here. It is said that the Buddha image at this temple was built by Chao Thamma Rangsee.

            Apart from visiting the important archaeological sites at daytime, The Sukhothai Historical Park has held a Mini Light and Sound Show or “Sukhothai Night”, which is held on every Saturday in the beginning of months all this year long (2553 B.E.). If you have a chance, you should extremely visit this place as one of the World Heritage. How to go to Sukhothai Province, youcan drive along highway no. 12 (Sukhothai-Tak Province Route) or can take a minibus of old city route that parks at a bus station near a police box that’s distant from a bridge crossing over Yom River about 200 meters. And the minibus departs from the station every 20 minutes and its passenger fee costs only 5 THB.

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