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Sukhothai Historical Park (Thai: อุทยานประวัติศาสตร์สุโขทัย (Pronunciation)) covers the ruins of Sukhothai, literally 'dawn of happiness', capital of the Sukhothai Kingdom in the 13th and 14th centuries, in north central Thailand.

It is near the city of Sukhothai Thani, capital of Sukhothai province. Inside are the remains of the royal palace and twenty-six temples, the largest being Wat Mahathat. The park is maintained by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand with help from UNESCO, which has declared it a World Heritage Site.

During the reign of Khmer Empire, the Khmers built some monuments there, several of them survived in Sukhothai Historical Park such as the Ta Pha Daeng shrine, Wat Phra Phai Luang, and Wat Sisawai.

Modern historians believe that the secession of Sukhothai (once known as Sukhodaya) from the Khmer empire began as early as 1180 during the reign of Pho Khun Sri Naw Namthom who was the ruler of Sukhothai and the peripheral city of Sri Satchanalai (modern day Si Satchanalai District in Sukhothai Province). Traditional Thai historians considered the founding of the Sukhothai Kingdom as the beginning of the Thai nation because little was known about the kingdoms prior to Sukhothai. Modern historical studies demonstrate that Thai history began before Sukhothai.

In 1793 Rama I, after establishing Bangkok as a new capital city of the kingdom, founded New Sukhothai in Thani, 12 km (7.5 mi) to the east of old Sukhothai, thus abandoning Sukhothai. One of the Buddha images is the famous eight metre (25-foot) tall bronze Phra Sri Sakyamuni (Thai: พระศรีศากยมุนี; RTGS: phra si sakkayamuni), the principal Buddha image of Wat Suthat, which was the principal Buddha image of Wat Mahathat, the biggest temple in Sukhothai.

Sukhothai Historical Park is managed by the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture.

Wat Mahathat or Mahathat Temple (Thai: วัดมหาธาตุ) is the most important and impressive temple in Sukhothai Historical Park.

Ramkhamhaeng National Museum (Thai: พิพิธภัณฑสถานแห่งชาติรามคำแหง) is a branch of the National Museum of Thailand in the Sukhothai Historical Park. The collection including Buddha images and Hindu god sculptures from Wat Phra Phai Luang and Wat Mahathat, sculptures from the pre-Sukhothai period (about 13th century), Sukhothai artifacts from the 14th and 15th centuries, early Ayutthaya artifacts from about 1351 to 1488, porcelain from the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, which was found during the excavations in Sukhothai and Si Satchanalai.

Wat Si Sawai or Si Sawai Temple (Thai: วัดศรีสวาย) is one of the oldest temples in Sukhothai.

Wat Phra Phai Luang (Thai: วัดพระพายหลวง) was the ritual center of Sukhothai and the biggest temple in the city area.

Wat Asokārām (Thai: วัดอโศการาม) or Wat Salat Dai (Thai: วัดสลัดได) was founded in the time of Sukhothai Kingdom in the reign of Sailuethai in 1399.

Wat Chana Songkhram (Thai: วัดชนะสงคราม) is a small temple close to Ramkhamhaeng Monument north of Wat Mahathat in the same area with Wat Sa Si and Wat Tra Kuan. The temple was built in the time of the Sukhothai Kingdom.

Wat Saphan Hin (Thai: วัดสะพานหิน) or Wat Taphan Hin (Thai: วัดตะพานหิน) is located on the 200 metres hill above the plain of Sukhothai. In various stone inscriptions found in Sukhothai, this temple was also called "Wat Aranyik", and since Wat Saphan Hin and Wat Aranyik are only about 500 meters away from each other, so perhaps originally a single temple.

Wat Aranyik (Thai: วัดอรัญญิก) was one of the first temple built by Tai in and around Sukhothai.

Wat Chetuphon (Thai: วัดเชตุพล) is a temple located about two kilometers south of the southern city wall, which surrounds the historic city of Sukhothai.

Wat Sorasak (Thai: วัดสรศักดิ์) was founded in the time of the Kingdom of Sukhothai during the reign of Sailuethai. The stupa is reminiscent of Ramkhamhaeng's Wat Chang Lom in Si Satchanalai Historical Park.

Quick Facts

• During the reign of Khmer Empire, the Khmers built some monuments there, several of them survived in Sukhothai Historical Park such as the Ta Pha Daeng shrine, Wat Phra Phai Luang, and Wat Sisawai.
• It is near the city of Sukhothai Thani, capital of Sukhothai province.
• Wat Mahathat or Mahathat Temple (Thai: วัดมหาธาตุ) is the most important and impressive temple in Sukhothai Historical Park.
• Ramkhamhaeng National Museum (Thai: พิพิธภัณฑสถานแห่งชาติรามคำแหง) is a branch of the National Museum of Thailand in the Sukhothai Historical Park.
• In 1793 Rama I, after establishing Bangkok as a new capital city of the kingdom, founded New Sukhothai in Thani, 12 km (7.5 mi) to the east of old Sukhothai, thus abandoning Sukhothai.

Source material: Wikipedia - "Sukhothai Historical Park". Adapted and summarized for DiscoverScroll. Original contributors are credited through the linked Wikipedia article. Read original on Wikipedia. CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes were made from the original.