When I think of Thailand’s ancient capital—its first capital, but not its most famous one—of Sukhothai, many images come to mind. Before any of them, however, I remember the bellowing of a bullfrog, right outside the window of my guest house.
The sound was as loud as a rock concert, amplified by the walls of the ditch the animal was resting in; the teak walls of the room I was sleeping, for their part, failed to block out a single sound wave. It might as well have been screaming directly into my ear.
Obviously, I ended up living through two sleepless nights, given that I’m posting this Sukhothai itinerary for you to enjoy. The frog did too, that I’m not ashamed to admit I tried multiple times to kill it. But I digress.
Where to Stay in Sukhothai
Now, let’s be clear: There’s no way to search only for Sukhothai hotels that are bullfrog-free. It’s possible that no other guest at the place I stayed (Baan B&B Sukhothai, if you’re curious) had to suffer what I did. Likewise, you could stay somewhere slightly higher end (Le Charme Sukhothai, for instance) and still end up losing sleep because some indigent animal decides to pull an all-nighter.
The thing is—and I’ll be frank about this—Sukhothai is a rustic destination, in the best possible way. Both its relative remoteness and the relatively small number of foreigners who know it exists at all mean that there has been only minimal tourism development here. Don’t come here if you’re seeking luxury; do come here if you’re hungry for an adventure you’ll never forget.
My Favorite Things to Do in Sukhothai
Visit the ruins first thing in the morning
One of the things I learned on my trip to Sukhothai? Lotus flowers only bloom first thing in the morning. Of course, this is not the only reason to visit the Sukhothai Historical Park first thing in the morning. Temples, such as the central Wat Matahat, face eastward, which means that light is the most flattering in the morning.
Eat Sukhothai noodles
Another reason to start sightseeing early? Sukhothai is stupidly hot. That’s also why I’m recommending that you eat soupy Sukhothai Noodles (which come out quite literally steaming) pretty early in your Sukhothai itinerary, even before noon if at all possible, or even at breakfast.
Observe quotidian city life
There isn’t much to Sukhothai town, apart from the temples themselves. Still, even if you can only manage to see “city” life (to the extent that Sukhothai even is a city) within their walls, I believe that trying to capture locals (even if they’re monks) in some kind of context is a valuable part of visiting Sukhothai.
(And quotidian rural life)
Indeed, the reality is that apart from the main strip of hotels and restaurants you find in every Sukhothai travel guide, the area that was once Thailand’s first capital is now mostly rural. Parts of its are actually somewhat lush, which would probably be more apparent if you weren’t essentially guaranteed to melt from how hot it is.
Watch it all light up
I was unlucky: Neither of the Sukhothai sunsets I saw were especially impressive. The good news is that even if you get a grey sky like I did, the temples of Sukhothai light up every night—and they’re extremely beautiful when illuminated, particularly if you’re able to shoot them with a tripod or some other stabilizer.
How Many Days Do You Need in Sukhothai?
Sukhothai isn’t very big, though there are a lot of ruins to explore. For casual fans of history, these will blend together after a day or two, though true aficionados will be able to appreciate the nuance. There’s also the fact that Sukhothai is extremely hot and humid (even compared to the rest of Thailand) for most of the year, which serves as a natural limiter to how long most travelers can bear to stay.
In most cases, two nights is sufficient for a trip. I would say one night, if not for how expensive (if you fly direct on Bangkok Airways) or cumbersome (if you fly to Phitsanulok and take a bus) Sukhothai is to reach; you can see “everything” in 24 hours or less. To be sure, no matter how many days in Sukhothai you ultimately decide to spend, I have a feeling you won’t soon forget your time here.
Other FAQ About Visiting Sukhothai
Is Sukhothai worth visiting?
Sukhothai is absolutely worth visiting. Sprawling like Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, but without the crowds you find there, it’s perhaps my favorite “lost city” in Asia, with the possible exception of Bagan in neighboring Myanmar. Make sure to stay a couple of nights in the city to compensate for the slight hassle of getting there!
Is Sukhothai or Ayutthaya better?
I personally find Sukhothai to be much more satisfying than Ayutthaya. For one, it’s older and better-preserved, not having been bastardized at any point like Ayutthaya was after the 2011 floods. Secondly, it’s practically devoid of tourists, are compared to Ayutthaya, which is something of a historical Disneyland.
How far is Sukhothai from Bangkok?
The road distance from Bangkok to Sukhothai is about 425 km, or 250 miles. However, in reality, most travelers fly (either all the way to Sukhothai on Bangkok Airways, or to Phitsanulok and then by bus from there), which requires around two hours door-to-door.
The Bottom Line
First and foremost, I hope my Sukhothai itinerary has inspired you to visit Thailand’s first capital. Too few foreigners make the trek here—and it is a trek, let’s be clear. I also hope I’ve saved you some trouble in planning your trip, given how little is written about Sukhothai (compared to Ayutthaya, especially) in English. Provided that you don’t have the same bad bullfrog luck I did, I think your time in Thailand’s first capital is going to knock your socks off. If not in the top tier of Thai destinations outright, it’s certainly high up in the second echelon. Take your trip, writ-large, to the next level when you hire me to plan it.
