Sukhothai / Sukhothai Airport

Sukhothai was Thailand’s first capital. The era of the city’s prominence (the 13th to 15th centuries) is widely regarded as a sort of golden age … a highpoint in art, architecture, religious and civic life. Then came invasion, war, strife, the vagaries of domestic politics, new trade routes and centers, unpredictable real-estate markets and questionable home-financing schemes, and the hub of Thai civilization shifted away—first to Lopburi, then to Ayuthaya, and ultimately to Bangkok (where some clever locals had put down sticky paper and seemingly have ended its peripatetic ways).

Now, Old Sukhothai is a National Park, home to the largely ruined temples and monuments of that shining hour. It is like the Angkor region but on a much smaller scale. And, “smallness” turns out to have its upside as well as its drawbacks. On the negative side, the structures are nowhere near as ambitious or extensive as their Cambodian cousins. Corresponding positive – there are far, far fewer sightseers. There is a grandeur to Angkor that is not found here. But, there is a serenity to Sukothai that provides some not wholly imperfect recompense. …Walking, bicycling, scootering about, or just lying under a tree, this is a pleasant place to be.

Angkor is something everyone should see. It is worth traveling half-way ‘round the world to explore (so, just do it already!). Sukhothai is different. If you’re in the neighborhood, drop by and have a leisurely visit (but only a few of you at a time, please).

Postscript:
To save myself a 7-hour bus ride at an inconvenient hour, I splurged (US$65 outlay) for a flight from Sukhothai to Bangkok. And, Sukhothai has quite possibly the world’s nicest airport. It is microscopic but perfect – like a painting on a grain of rice carried out by an old man with unfathomably steady hands, who is inexplicably not blind as a result of his chosen profession. It is nicer than Santa Barbara’s, nicer than Kauai’s. Please check out photos of my complimentary corsage (I flew coach), the terminal (replete with hoards of orchids and dripping water “walls”), and of course the airport’s chedi.