Did you know that the first kingdom of Thailand is known as Sukhothai? That's right, Su-kho-thai! which means "Dawn of Happiness" was founded in 1238 AD by two princes, Pho Khun Pha Muang and Pho Khun Bang Klang Hao. You see, back in the days the kingdom was part of the Khmer Empire, but these two princes joined forces and broke away from Khmer rules to form their own kingdom. The Sukhothai Kingdom lasted for 200 years and gave way to a new Kingdom of Ayutthaya in 1438. The most famous ruler of Sukhothai was King Ramkhamhaeng The Great, who ruled during the golden age of the Kingdoms from 1278 to 1318. King Ramkhamhaeng is credited with expanding the kingdom's borders, opening political relations with other major empires such as the Chinese, and he's famously credited with inventing the Thai alphabets. The kingdom prospered greatly during his reign as evident in the architects, treasures, and Buddhist arts that are left behind today.

You can visit Sukhothai to see what's left of this legendary kingdom by heading north of Bangkok, about 427KM away. The main attraction is the restored ruins of monuments and temples at the Sukhothai Historical Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some other attractions are The Royal Palace, Wat Mahathat, King Ramkhamhaeng Monument, Wat Si Sawai and Inside the city wall just to name a few.

How to Get There
Bus
Buses depart from Bangkok's Mochit 2 Bus Terminal to Sukhothai daily between 9.45 a.m. and 10.20 p.m.. It's about a 7 hours ride. For more information please call 02-936 2852(66) or visit www.transport.co.th

Train
There are no trains going directly to Sukhothai, but you can travel by train to Phitsanulok and then take a local bus to Sukhothai, about 59 kilometres away. Contact Bangkok Railway Station Tel. 1690, 02223 7010, 0 2223 7020 or visit www.railway.co.th for more information.

Airplane
Bangkok Airways flies from Bangkok to Sukhothai daily and it takes only an hour to get there. Visit www.bangkokair.com for more information.