Sukhothai (city)

Sukhothai สุโขทัย
City
Image from Sukhothai Historical Park
Area
• Total	659,600 ha (1,629,907 acres)
Population  (2012)
• Total	35,713
• Density	5.4/km^2 (14/sq mi)

Sukhothai (Thai: สุโขทัย, pronounced [sù.kʰǒː.tʰāj]) was the capital of the Sukhothai Kingdom (also known as the Kingdom of Siam).[1] Sukhothai is 12 km west of the modern city of Sukhothai Thani.[2]

History

Sukhothai is from Sanskrit sukha (सुख "happiness") + udaya (उदय "rise, emergence"), meaning "dawn of happiness".^[citation needed] Founded in 1238, it is about 427 km north of Bangkok.[3] Sukhothai was the capital of the Thai Empire for approximately 140 years.[3] As of 2014, 193 temples have been excavated and partly reconstructed.[4][5]

The stele of Ram Khamhaeng states the city had a triple wall and four gates.[6] At its center was a pond, a "marvelous pond of clear and delicious water like the water of the Mekong in the dry season."[7] The Aranyika monastery was west of the city, a great lake to the east, a market to the north, and the Khao Luang hill to the south.[8]: 207 

Old Sukhothai is a small town with nearly no hotels.[3] Most visitors stay in New Sukhothai.[9][10]

Sukhothai occupies an area of 6,596 km^2.[11] The historic town of Sukhothai and related areas were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1991.[12]

References

1. Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
2. Weiner, James Blake (12 October 2018). "Sukhothai". World History Encyclopedia.
3. "Sukhothai". Journeys International. 2024-03-28. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
4. "Thailand in a nutshell". Fleewinter. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
5. Anne, Mike & (2014-07-17). "Sukhothai: The Golden Age of Thailand". HoneyTrek. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
6. tim (2018-05-09). "English Translation of the Ramkhamhaeng Inscription". Tim's Thailand. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
7. Coedès, George (1975-06-01). The Indianized States of Southeast Asia. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-0368-1.
8. Coedès, George (1968). Walter F. Vella (ed.). The Indianized States of Southeast Asia. trans.Susan Brown Cowing. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-0368-1.
9. www.agoda.com https://www.agoda.com/city/sukhothai-th.html. Retrieved 2024-05-05. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
10. "Where to stay in Sukhothai?". Travelfish. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
11. Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
12. U. "Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns - UNESCO World Heritage Centre". Whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 2015-07-17.

External links

• Sukhothai travel guide from Wikivoyage

17°01′N 99°42′E