The Legendha Sukhothai - The Thai decor resort close to the Sukhothai Ancient Park

Wat Chang Lom is located to the north of Charot Withithong Road with a bell-shaped chedi of Ceylonese influence standing as the centre. The chedi is situated on a 3-tiered square base with a platform decorated with a row of elephants seen by their front halves supporting the round chedi.

On the road to Sukhothai is the Wat Traphang Thong Lang with remarkable stucco relief on the side. The flat relief on the southern side is the best of its type in Sukhothai style; it shows Buddha, striding over steps, coming down from heaven Tavatimsa. Buddha, protected by two parasols, is accompanied by the Hindu goddesses Indra and Brahma together with worshippers. This is assumed to be the first (from the Sukhothai period) visual representation of the stepping Buddha. Another flat relief on the north side of the bot depicts, less artistically, Buddha taming the elephant Nalagiri, which his cousin Devadatta had set upon him. The relief on the west wall shows Buddha under a mango tree at the miracle of Sravasti. Painted interpretations of this kind are in Polonaruwa (Sri Lanka) and Pagan (Burma).

Farther east the Wat Chedi Sung has a towering simple but effectively decorated chedi, a fine balance of strength and nobility. This stucco covered chedi from the late 14th c. ranges among the most beautiful sacral buildings of Sukhothai architecture. The high foundations on a square base has Srivijaya characteristics, whereas the narrow bell on an octagonal base has distinct Singhalese traits.

4. Sukhothai Historical Park : อุทยานประวัติศาสตร์ สุโขทัย 1 km.
This World Heritage Site was the original capital of the first Siamese kingdom. Surrounded by two moats and bridged by four gateways, the old walls contain the partially restored remains of 21 historical sites, including royal palaces and Buddhist temples.

Opened in 1964 the Ramkhamhaeng Museum contains numerous finds (especially statues, stucco work and ceramics) from Sukhothai, Si Satchanalai and Kamphaeng Phet, the three capitals of the empire. It provides a good overview of the development of the Sukhothai style from its beginnings, where the Khmer influence was still dominant, to the final stage where the Ayutthaya style was prevalent. Particularly noteworthy are a stepping Buddha, the finest example of this type, a seated Buddha from the Wat Chang Lom in Si Satchanalai (both on the ground floor), and a seated bronze Buddha (upper floor). In the museum garden are other statues and a ceramic kiln. The admission fee includes a detailed brochure in English.

Wat Si Sawai Some 300 metres to the southwest of Wat Mahathat. Inside the wall, the viharn in the west, built of laterite, is separate from the main prang which was constructed in Lopburi or Hindu - style but the others also constructed beside the prangs, are Buddhist viharns. The Crown Prince (King Rama VI), found a trace of Hindu sculpture Sayomphu, the greatest Hindu God in this sanctuary. In his opinion htis ruin was once a Hindu shrine, but was later converted into a Buddhist monastery.

San Ta Pha Daeng : ศาลตาผาแดง 1km.

San Ta Pha Daeng, built late 12th or early 13th c., ranks among the most important Khmer ruins on Thai soil. The temple is on a 3-m (10-ft) high base and has four porticos. There are five wonderful stone fragments of male and female Hindu deities in Angkor Wat style.

Wat Mahathat : วัดมหาธาตุ 1km.

The most splendid wat of the present ruined city was the Wat Mahathat near the earlier Royal Palace, a wooden building of which no trace remains. This wat alone covered an area of 4 ha (10 acres) and was surrounded by 185 chedis, six wiharns of varying size, a bot and eleven salas; a wall punctuated by gates encircled the area. The center of the site is most impressive, a main chedi with both a wiharn and a bot. The towering finely constructed chedi in pure Sukhothai style terminates in the tip of a lotus bud. The middle section resembles the Khmer prangs, the high square base is decorated by a procession of worshippers with 40 figures of about one meter high on each side. The niches of the four corner chapels show fine stucco work, rosettes, scenes from the life of Buddha, gods and demons in conflict; both niches and the pedestal ledge have Buddha figures.

Wat Sra Si : วัดสระศรี 1km.

The Wat Sra Si on a small island must have been quite magnificent; it has ten chedis influenced by the Ceylon-style. Six rows of columns and the beautiful statue of a seated Buddha in the pose of the Bhumispara-mudra remain from the large wiharn. The bot of the Wat Sra Si stands on an island in a pond covered with lotus flowers. The buildings of the wat on the bank, inhabited by monks, originate from a more recent period. The old laterite chedi in Singhalese style is decaying badly. In the mondhop is a stone footprint of Buddha, which was brought here from the Wat Phra Bat Yai; it is thought to have been discovered - according to an inscription - by King Liu Thai in 1359. In honor of this holy place the Loy Kratong festival (light festival) is celebrated here in November; the lake is transformed by thousands of tiny floating candles into a fascinating sea of light.

Wat Sorasak : วัดสรศักดิ์ 1km.

The Wat Sorasak was constructed in 1412, towards the end of the Sukhothai empire. The decaying chedi in Singhalese style is supported by 24 elephants. The niches are occupied by statues depicting Buddha sitting in a "western" position with legs hanging down.

Wat Traphang Ngoen : วัดตระพังเงิน 1km.

To the west of the Wat Mahathat on an island covered with lotus blossoms in the Traphang Ngoen ("Silver Lake") are the outstandingly beautiful chedi of the Wat Traphang Ngoen and columns from a larger wiharn. In the niches of the chedi, which is an impressive sight against the mountains, are Buddha statues. It is crowned by a lotus bud.

Ceramic Kilns : หมู่บ้านสังคโลก 1km.

The remnants of ceramic kilns are interesting; excavations has so far brought to light 49 of them (a model exists in the Ramkhamhaeng Museum). The ceramic and tile production began here around 1300 when King Ramkhamhaeng brought several hundred potters from China, and it lasted until the middle of the 15th c. when wars interrupted production.

Wat Si Chum : วัดศรีชุม 2 km.

The mondhop of the Wat Si Chum, a huge, windowless cuboid construction (22 3 28 3 15 m (72 3 91 349 ft)), stands on a 4.3-m (14-ft) high pedestal, the walls are 3 m (9 ft) thick. There is access to the roof through an entrance in the southern wall. The ceiling of this walkway was once covered with artistically engraved stone plates (one is on display in the Ramkhamhaeng Museum in Sukhothai, the other in the National Museum in Bangkok) which illustrated in sweeping succession scenes from the life of Buddha. The illustrations are of outstanding beauty betraying the influence of Singhalese-Indian painters and having similarities with the temple walls of Polonaruwa on Sri Lanka.

Wat Phra Bat Noi : วัดพระบาทน้อย 3 km.

The Wat Phra Bat Noi is also interesting ("wat to Buddha's footprint") with its unusual chedi (mixture of Thai and Khmer styles). The central part resting on a square basis has a niche on each side which is occupied by a smaller Buddha figure. The lower part of the apex has vertical ribbing, which like the niches, is decorated with predominantly Hindu motifs. The footprint from the wiharn is in the Ramkhamhaeng Museum.

Wat Phra Pai Luang : วัดพระพายหลวง 3 km.

Surrounded by a moat Wat Phra Pai Luang is extensive and one of the oldest temples. It was probably one of the most important in this region and is thought to date from the end of the 12th or beginning of the 13th c. Of the three laterite prangs decorated with stucco the north one is still standing. On the gable of the false door Buddha and his followers are represented. Beautiful stucco work adorns the steps of the chedi and the base of the dilapidated eastern chedi. The outside wall, the foundations and ruins of four rows of columns still remain from the wiharn. In the mondhop statues were found depicting Buddha in the four basic positions. The Wat Phra Pai Luang was presumably the main wat of the old town at the time of the Khmer before it was moved further south to its present position in the ruined city.

Wat Sapan Hin : วัดสะพานหิน 3 km.

The Wat Sapan Hin lies on a hill at the edge of the Yom plain and offers a fine view of the mountains and Si Satchanalai. A paved path leads to the monastery giving it the name "temple of the stone bridge". In this wat King Ramkhamhaeng celebrated the Thot-Kathin festival annually in October, the end of the Buddhist fasting period. Tall stucco covered laterite columns once supported the wiharn. There is an impressive 12.5-m (41-ft) high statue of a standing Buddha in Sukhothai style leaning against a brick wall in the open, the right hand raised in a protective gesture. It is deeply revered by the population of the surrounding area.

Wat Chetuphon : วัดเชตุพน 4 km.

In the Wat Chetuphon there is a particularly beautiful example of sculpture in classical Sukhothai style, a stepping Buddha in stucco, the only one of four to be have been well preserved. The other three represent Buddha in sitting, standing and reclining positions. They occupy the external walls of the mondhop, a massive brick construction, which stood at the center point of the temple grounds; only one wall of this remains. The chedi in the form of a mondhop contains the Buddha statue Phra Si Arijya Metrai ("Buddha of the future"). Part of the window frame from the wiharn has been preserved and appears to have been carved. An unusual feature at the Wat Chetuphon are the walls of slate which are sculptured like wood.

This shrine is situated in front of the City Hall and is highly respected by Sukhothai residents. It houses an idol of Phra Mae Ya, a stone figure with a white face and long hair, and dressed as an ancient queen.

When visiting Sukhothai, there are a surprising number of things to see and do at Sukhothai Airport. Lush gardens and an orchid greenhouse; exhibitions of ancient ceramics as well as live demonstrations of local pottery making; an organic rice farm where traditional rice-growing techniques are still maintained, including the use of water buffalo to plough the paddies; shrines to important local religious deities such as Brahma and Luang Poh Sila; a scale model replica of Cambodia’s famed Angkor Wat; and for those who would rather absorb the local culture gastronomically, the Kueytiew Lanbin Restaurant is the place to go to get a taste f sumptuous Sukhothai noodles!

RamKhamhaeng National Park is also known as Khao Luang by many of the local peoples. It covers an area of about 341 square kilometers. Khao Luang is an important source of water for its’ surrounding areas. The park also contains a lot of natural beauty such as the Khao Luang mountain range, Sai Rung Waterfall, a herbal garden, and the Savannah located in the high country of the Khao Luang range.

The Sukhothai Historical Park, where a former main center of this ancient capital existed, actually merges with RamKhamHaeng National Park in the northeastern corner of the Khao Luang range. Many ancient structures were built within Khao Luang too. The RamKhamhaeng National Park area is actually even mentioned in the famous stone SuKhothai Inscription I of King Pa Khun RamKhamhaeng, the great King of the period

This was proclaimed a national park on 8 May, 1981. With a total area of 213 square kilometres in Amphoe Si Satchanalai and Amphoe Thung Saliam of Sukhothai Province, Si Satchanalai National Park located on the bank of the Yom River offers trekking routes through waterfalls and caves. The parks geography is mainly high, undulating mountains covered by a tropical jungle. Interesting tourist spots in the park include Tat Dao and Tat Duean Waterfalls, about 3 kilometres and 500 metres from the park headquarters, respectively. The park also has a hot spring, two caves called Tham Khangkhao (bats cave), and Tham Thara Wasan.

Set among hills, Si Satchanalai's ruins are larger, less restored and less visited than the usual temple fare, arguably making for a more authentic, cultural experience. Si Satchanalai was an important producer of glazed pottery that was exported to Asia, while Ban Ko Noi features displays of kilns, artifacts and ceramics.

The Thai Phuan settled here over a century ago from Xieng Khuang in Laos. Famous for beautiful hand-woven textiles, particularly brocade-bordered skirts, almost every stilt house in the village has a loom beneath it. Buy direct from the manufacturers or from the village shops.

Major features of Kamphang Phet Historical Park include archaeological remains of ancient sites such as Muang Chakangrao to the east of the Ping River, Muang Nakhon Chum to the west and Muang Trai Trueng some 18 kilometres from the town to the southwest. Services from the Tourist Centre are available, the centre itself being located some 5 kilometres from town on the Kamphaeng Phet-Phran Kratai route.