Chiang Rai & Northern Thailand - Thailand - page 411

tapered fingers are much photographed. Archaeologists theorise that this image is
the 'Phra Atchana' mentioned in the famous Ramkhamhaeng inscription.

WAT PHRA PHAI LUANG
Offline map

Temple

( Click here ; ) Outside the city walls in the northern zone, this somewhat isolated
wát features three 12th-century Khmer-style towers, bigger than those at Wat Si
Sawai. This may have been the centre of Sukhothai when it was ruled by the Kh-
mers of Angkor prior to the 13th century.

WESTERN ZONE
This zone ( admission 100B, plus per bicycle/motorcycle/car 10/30/50B;
7.30am-5.30pm) , at its furthest extent 2km west of the old city walls, is the most ex-
pansive, and in addition to Wat Saphan Hin, several mostly featureless ruins can be
found. A bicycle or motorcycle is necessary to explore this zone.

WAT SAPHAN HIN
( Click here ) Located on the crest of a hill that rises about 200m above the plain,
the name of the wát, which means 'stone bridge', is a reference to the slate path
and staircase that leads up to the temple, which are still in place. The site is 3km
west of the former city wall and gives a good view of the Sukhothai ruins to the
southeast and the mountains to the north and south.
All that remains of the original temple are a few chedi and the ruined wí·hăhn,
consisting of two rows of laterite columns flanking a 12.5m-high standing Buddha
image on a brick terrace.

Temple

Activities

CYCLING SUKHOTHAI
( 0 5561 2519; www.cycling-sukhothai.com ; half-/full day 600/750B, sunset tour
300B) Belgian cycling enthusiast Ronny offers a variety of fun and educational bi-
cycle tours of the area. A resident of Sukhothai for nearly 20 years, his rides follow
themed itineraries such as the Dharma & Karma Tour, which includes a visit to
bizarre Wat Tawet , a temple with statues depicting Buddhist hell, or the Historical
Park Tour, which includes stops at lesser-seen wát and villages.

Cycling