The dawn of Thai civilization
Sukhothai — 'Dawn of Happiness' — was the first truly Thai kingdom, established in the 13th century when the region broke free from Khmer rule. Its UNESCO historical park contains 193 ruins spread across lotus-filled ponds and forested hills, best explored by bicycle at dawn before the heat sets in. The Loy Krathong festival held here each November is the most beautiful in Thailand.
Sukhothai was founded around 1238 when Thai chieftains overthrew their Khmer overlords, establishing a kingdom that developed the Thai script, Theravada Buddhist traditions, and a distinctive artistic style still visible in its graceful walking-Buddha statues. At its height under King Ramkhamhaeng the kingdom stretched from the Malay Peninsula to Laos, but had been absorbed into the Ayutthaya kingdom by 1438. The old city was abandoned and the jungle swallowed it until restoration began in the 1970s.