Three Lesser-Known Sights in Sukhothai
Don’t miss the rest of our series on Sukhothai!
Getting to Sukhothai from Bangkok
As you explore Sukhothai, you’ll discover the incredible Historical Park. (That’s probably why you came, after all!) Getting there as soon as they open helps to beat the crowds and the heat, but within a couple hours it becomes pretty much impossible to take a picture without other visitors in it.
So what’s a person to do before the Historical Park opens, or after it becomes too full and bustling to properly enjoy? If you’ve done your research, you know that Wat Si Chum is an incredible sight, too. (Unfortunately, so does everyone else.)
Luckily, Sukhothai has a lot more to offer. Here are our top three favorite things to do and see that aren’t yet too touristy. If you want to step outside of the crowd, these are the places to do it!
Wat Traphang Thong: Give Alms to Buddhist Monks
As of November 2019, you have the opportunity to give alms to monks every morning at 6 AM. Head to the bridge that connects the temple Wat Traphang Thong to the main road just north of the temple. Bring some food with you to give to the monks.
When you arrive at the bridge, take your place in the seated line forming along one side of the bridge. (We recommend sitting nearer the main road, because the monks will come from the temple and being further from them will allow you to observe how the offering process works before you need to participate.)
The bare-footed and saffron-robed monks will walk past, accepting offerings from those seated along the bridge. This early morning ritual, with the vibrant robes standing out against the gradually lightening sky, is absolutely something you should experience during your visit.
Wat Sorasak: Admire the Elephant Temple
At some point before we came to Sukhothai, I had seen a picture of a temple wrapped with elephant sculptures. I was sorely disappointed when we explored the entire Historical Park several times and didn’t find it, and my Google sleuthing skills weren’t much help at all.
To my delight, we stumbled across it purely by chance as we were going somewhere else entirely. We spent probably an hour at this temple admiring and photographing it during the busiest part of the day at the main Historical Park.
Guess how many other tourists we saw?
None.
That’s right; we had the entire place to ourselves for the whole time we were there. It was amazing to think that just a five minute walk away, people were struggling to take pictures that weren’t full of other tourists, and yet there was no one in sight of this beautiful and memorable place.
This temple, Wat Sorasak, is located just north of the Historical Park. Head out of the park’s main north exit and walk north for just two or three minutes until you see it to your right in the middle of an open field.
Wat Phrapai Luang: Explore Ruins on Your Own
After you’ve been to Wat Sorasak and seen the elephant sculptures, keep heading north on the main road (1113, not that it’s marked). You’ll pass through the old city walls—now just mounds of dirt—and see several small ruins.
It should take less than 10 minutes of walking (not counting any time you spend checking out the ruins you pass, of course!) until you see a bridge on your left. Turn left and walk across it (yes, I know it looks like you’re just walking into a field of packed dirt and occasional trees, don’t worry). Once you cross the bridge, just walk straight for a couple of minutes and you’ll find Wat Phrapai Luang.
These ruins may not be as towering and impressive as those in the main Sukhothai Historical Park, but they’re pretty incredible in their own right. And, best of all, the crowds from the Historical Park haven’t reached this area yet. Just like at Wat Sorasak, we had the entire place to ourselves.
Note: there’s a 100-baht ($3) admission fee to Wat Phrapai Luang. We couldn’t find any place to pay (to our dismay, because we believe in supporting the preservation of historic places), but keep this in mind and be prepared to pay if possible!