Chiang Rai & Northern Thailand - Thailand - page 410

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( Click here ; 0 5561 2167; admission 150B; 9am-4pm) A good starting point for
exploring the historical park ruins is Ramkhamhaeng National Museum. A replica of
the famous Ramkhamhaeng inscription, said to be the earliest example of Thai writ-
ing, is kept here among an impressive collection of Sukhothai artefacts.

WAT SI SAWAI
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Temple

( Click here ; ) Just south of Wat Mahathat, this Buddhist shrine (dating from the
12th and 13th centuries) features three Khmer-style towers and a picturesque moat.
It was originally built by the Khmers as a Hindu temple.

WAT SA SI
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Temple

( Click here ; ) Also known as 'Sacred Pond Monastery', Wat Sa Si sits on an island
west of the bronze monument of King Ramkhamhaeng (the third Sukhothai king).
It's a simple, classic Sukhothai-style wát containing a large Buddha, one chedi and
the columns of the ruined wí·hăhn .

WAT TRAPANG THONG
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Temple

( Click here ; ) Next to the Ramkhamhaeng National Museum, this small, still-inhab-
ited wát with its fine stucco reliefs is reached by a footbridge across the large lotus-
filled pond that surrounds it. This reservoir, the original site of Thailand's Loi Kra-
thong festival, supplies the Sukhothai community with most of its water.

NORTHERN ZONE
This zone ( admission 100B, plus per bicycle/motorcycle/car 10/30/50B;
7.30am-5.30pm) , 500m north of the old city walls, is easily reached by bicycle.

WAT SI CHUM
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Temple

( Click here ; ) This wát is northwest of the old city and contains an impressive
mon·dòp with a 15m, brick-and-stucco seated Buddha. This Buddha's elegant,