1/40.- Welcome to Sukhothai, Thailand

Welcome to Sukhothai Thailand, site of the incredible ruins of the Sukothai Kingdom which ruled over this area from the 13th to 15th centuries.

Many Thais date the beginning of their history to the founding of the Sukhothai Kingdom, the first indigenous Thai kingdom, in 1238 when the local king declared independence from the Khmer empire.

Sukhothai is 265 miles north of Bangkok, and about 180 miles south of Chiang Mai. The nearest reasonably large city is Phitsanulok, 36 miles away. Sukhothai can be reached by road, or even better, by air. Bangkok Airways flies to its own private airport in Sukhothai, perhaps the nicest little airport in the world (as we'll see when we leave Sukothai at the conclusion of this tour.)

Let's head to the Sukhothai Historical Park (12 km from the modern town of Sukhothai) and begin our virtual visit with Wat Mahathat, the royal wat compound. It's the largest, and perhaps the most spectacular, set of ruins at Sukhothai.

[Let's go ...]