Photos

I took myself up to Sukhothai for Loy Krathong 2007, which in celebration of the festival was fairy-lit with candle lights adorning all the ancient brick stupas and monuments.

The Kingdom of Sukhothai ruled an empire approximately encompassing modern Thailand, from when its chieftains declared independence from the Khmer empire in 1238, until the 14th century. With the rise of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, Sukhothai lost importance until it finally became a province of that kingdom.

The ruins of Ayutthaya are more famous and, being more accessible, much closer to Bangkok, are more visited. But old Sukhothai is in much better shape (having not been ravaged by the Burmese), and outside of festival time are quite quiet (it was absolutely packed for Loy Krathong, but even then the tourists were probably 99% Thai).