Tourists visit Thiland for many reasons – business, shopping, sports events, sightseeing – but many confine themselves to the capital Bangkok and popular tourist resorts like Phuket and Koh Samui without venturing out to the ancient capital cities.
It is a bit like a tourist travelling to London and failing to visit Stratford-on-Avon and Oxford!
The ancient cities of Ayuththya (Ayuthya) and Sukhothai ,former capitals of the Thai kings who held sway during the 13th and 14th centuries, are well worth a visit. They bear testimony to the ancient glory of the Thai nation and eloquently demonstrate the skills and heritage of the Siamese people.
Sukhothai
This Archaeological Park is a pleasant half day’s drive northwest of Bangkok, and ideally needs a whole day to be appreciated. A visit here can be followed by another day leisurely taking in the sigts of Ayuththya which is a couple of hours north of Bangkok. As an added bonus, Sukhothai is a short distance from Phitsanuloke, home of the Buddha Chinnarat temple (which houses a beautiful golden Buddha image that conveys an expression of amazing serenity) as well as a Chinese Buddhist temple with statues of the goddess of compassion Kuan Eim , who the Chinese know as Guanyin or Kwun Yam and sometimes refer to as the female Bodhisattva.
Situated at the northern extremity of the central plains, Sukhothai was founded as the first independent capital of the Thai people in the early 13th century. Here, as well as in the satellite city of Si Sachanalai, the ruins of imposing temples, palaces and monuments have been cleverly restored by archaeologists within special historical parks, both of which have been designated World Heritage sites by UNESCO.
Walking Buddha
Among the many statues to be seen in Sukhothai, one of the most beautil is that of The Walking Buddha – depicting an aspect of the Buddha that appears unique to this part of the world. Many chedis (the Thai word for stupas) here have been crafted in what Thais call ‘Lankan style’ – but chedis of other architectural styles such as Srivijaya and Burmese can also be seen here. There is architectural evidence of the earlier presence of Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism before the Theravada or Hinayana form of Buddhism was introduced into Thailand.
Ayuthya
Also spelled Ayutthaya, this city was the capital of Thailand for over 400 years from 1350 to 1767. The Ayuthya Historical Park which includes the ruins of the ancient city is also recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. The buildings here are in a good state of preservation and include Viharn (halls of worship), Wats (temples) and Chedis as well as the Royal Palace. Among the many sculptures are statues of the Buddha in various postures. For those interested, the Chao Sampraya Museum in Ayuththya has an interesting collection of treasures and artifacts, including working tools from the Ayuththya era.
Sanjiva Wijesinha - Dr. Sanjiva Wijesinha, Associate Professor at Monash University medical school, writes on health, travel and medical topics.
