Sukhothai - week 4 in Thailand -

Visiting Ayutthaya or Sukhothai?

That was our question before making the final decision. In the end, we chose Sukhothai. It’s smaller and quieter than Ayutthaya, which suited our travel style perfectly — seeking out local places is always our rule.

And honestly, the reality couldn’t have matched our expectations more. We arrived in the town centre in the evening and immediately stumbled upon a night market just near our guesthouse. It was a truly beautiful scene: food stalls glowing under warm lights, a nearby temple softly illuminated, and the whole area buzzing with life.
We already knew — we were going to like this town. ✨

 We decided to begin our exploration in the central zone of the historical park, where countless Buddha statues, stupas, and the remaining pillars of ancient buildings are scattered across the grounds. It completely blew my mind that these structures still exist today, silently sharing their stories with anyone who walks among them.

It was fascinating to imagine what life must have been like here centuries ago — people living, working, and constructing these breathtaking temples, which have now been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The sense of history felt incredibly alive.

It was the perfect day to wander around the park, and at some point, we even tried to be Buddhas ourselves — sitting quietly, soaking in the atmosphere, pretending we’d reached enlightenment… at least for a moment. Hihi.

The sunset there was absolutely stunning, with the sun slowly sinking behind the silhouette of the temple, painting the sky in soft shades of gold and orange. For some reason, there were many wild dogs wandering around the park, just like us, and one of them ended up becoming our little guide. He quietly walked ahead of us and, without us realising at first, led us all the way to the exit.

We named him “Pongo.” 🐾

It made me smile to think about the doggies footprints from centuries ago - different dogs, same paths.

The following day, we rented bicycles and went historical-spot hopping. Before long, we realised that stupas seemed to appear at almost every corner. No matter where we turned, another piece of history was waiting for us. It was truly mind-blowing.

Many of the bicycles were imported from Japan, as the lady at the rental shop told me. They were second-hand but in excellent condition. What made it even more fun was discovering little stickers still attached in Japanese, quietly revealing their past lives.

For example, the yellow bike in the photo below had a sticker that read: “Minami High School, Omiya.”
It felt like the bicycle itself had travelled here with its own story. 🚲✨

The night market near our guesthouse — the one I mentioned earlier — was just as pretty as I remembered. Soft lights, lively food stalls, and the gentle hum of people enjoying their evening made it the perfect place to end the day.