The remains of an ancient kingdom
From Chiang Mai to Sukhothai by bus
We arrive from Chiang Mai to Sukhothai at 6pm to visit the ruins of Sukhothai, the ancient capital of Thailand. After less than 24 hours we decided that we had seen everything there was to see.
From Chiang Mai to Sukhothai it is 300km. We took the bus from Chiang Mai bus station and did not stop at New Sukhothai bus station. It takes 5 hours to arrive and the ticket is 250-350 Baht depending on the company (7-10 euro). The bus left us in New Sukhothai and we found a hotel to stay in the city center.
In the afternoon we went for a walk and found nothing interesting to see in New Sukhothai, so the next morning we went to see what is really worth seeing: the ruins of the historical city.
Ruins of the historic city of Sukhothai
The ruins of the historic city of Sukhothai are located 12 km from New Sukhothai and the complex covers 3.5 square km. The whole complex was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.
Right at the entrance to the park you can rent some bicycles to take a walk around the ruins, which was the capital of Thailand during the 13th and 14th centuries. The entrance to the walled park costs only 100 Baht (3 euros). Outside the park there are also other areas that can be visited and each of these areas costs another 100 Baht.
The ancient city, now in ruins, but surrounded by gardens, temples and giant Buddhas, conveys serenity and well-being and is, without doubt, the only reason to visit Sukhothai.
How to get to Khao Yai National Park?
From Sukhothai to Khao Yai National Park
The trip from Sukhothai to Khao Yai National Park was another of the hardest journey. At 6 p.m. We left for Krurat to try to reach the park located in the Northeast of Thailand. After 7 long hours by bus, we made the transfer. We took another bus, this one full of people and cockroaches, which finally left us at Pak Chong.
Pak Chong is a village close to the park, but in the middle of nowhere and in the middle of the road. We arrived at 4 o’clock and went to eat something to burn time. We sat on the terrace of a restaurant full of people having dinner in the early hours of the morning.
They looked at us like we were freaks. When we had finished eating we decided to find a taxi to take us to a guest house that mentioned Lonely Planet. After an hour going around a little hairy areas, we finally ended up riding in the back of a pick up in the direction of the guest house.
It’s 7am. After almost 13 hours of travel, a lot of asking for places and negotiating prices, it’s time to go to sleep, at 3 pm we will start our tour though the Khao Yai National Park.
