I noticed that most visitors to the Sukhothai Historical Park limit their visit to just the Central Zone. Like Ayutthaya, many temples and ruins are worth visiting outside the city walls, so I allotted two days for this part of our trip.

There are larger temple complexes south of the Central Zone, but we needed to travel back to Phitsanulok to catch our overnight train to Chiang Mai.

 

Be Informed

The temples and ruins outside the Central Zone are categorized based on their location from the walled city. I chose the ones to visit based on which are most interesting, as I did with our Ayutthaya trip.

Some of the temples have separate admission fees. The temples are much farther from each other. They are still cyclable. We hired a tuk-tuk for THB 300. The entire tour took about two hours.

There aren’t that many people who visit the temples in the Outer Zones. Chances are you’ll have them to yourselves. Nevertheless, always be mindful since these are sacred sites.

Wat Si Chum

From the ticketing office, you’ll already see the enormous seated Buddha statue peeking through the small opening of the square hall that houses it. The right hand of the statue is gilded. The graceful fingers are almost as tall as a grown man. I thought this was the most beautiful of all the temples we visited outside of the city walls.

My sister and I had a funny encounter with the ticketing office in this temple. The officer thought we were Thai nationals and was selling us the local ticket price. We paid for the foreign price, of course.

Wat Phra Pai Luang

A short distance northeast of Wat Si Chum is Wat Phra Pai Luang. Surrounded by a moat, this temple is one of the larger compounds outside the walled Central Zone of Sukhothai.

This temple’s most striking feature is the well-preserved details on its lone standing tower.

Wat Saphan Hin

Wat Saphan Hin is located on top of a hill. The statue of the walking Buddha is already visible from the drive towards the temple.

It’s an easy ascent to Wat Saphan Hin despite the precarious-looking path leading to the hill’s top. The temple offers an excellent view of the old town below.

Wat Chedi Ngarm

Wat Chedi Ngarm is located just a few meters from the road. Some pillars and a large chedi are all that remains of this temple. Perhaps nearby Wat Phra Bat Noi would’ve been a more exciting choice.

Final Thoughts

A day tour would have sufficed to explore the Sukhothai Historical Park. It will be a bit rushed, but it will suffice nonetheless. If you have the time, though, staying for a couple of days is much recommended.

Make sure to include the Outer Zones when you visit. The temples are just as interesting and offer fewer crowds.