Getting there
By plane
Bangkok Airways
There's 1 plane a day from CM and from BKK with Bangkok Airways. From CM, the plane arrives at 12.25, from BKK at 10.20 am.
They
now have a good deal saying you can book the BKK-CM flight for 1.400
Bht, and stop in Sukothai and spend 1 to 3 nights there before flying
through (3/99).
The Sukothai airport is really very small
with I guess not more then 20 to 50 passengers a day (of the 72
passengers on our plane, only 8 got off). So, there are no touts or
taxi drivers waiting for you there. The only option you have is taking
a shuttle charging between 80 to 160 Bht pp depending on which hotel
you go to.
With Thai Airways
Thai doesn't fly to Sukothai, but only to Phitsanulok, about 60 km from Sukothai. They have several flights.
If
you're in a hurry, you could take a morning flight. Then you could rent
a car with driver to visit the Sukothai ruins for about 1.000 Bht ( a 1
way taxi trip costs 600 Bht) (3/99).
A bus into town costs 50 Bht.
By bus
There are buses from CM to Sukothai taking 4 to 6 hours.
There are also several buses to Phitsanulok. These are the schedules (3/99):
-
From CM 27 buses a day from 5.50 am till 1.30 am. 4 AC buses at 5.50
am, 7.25 am, 2 pm and 4 pm. Fare is 86-106 Bht and 146-155 Bht for AC.
By train
Trains stop at Phitsanulok,
not at Sukothai. The night train coming from CM stops here at 23.34
(express) and at 1.07 am (special express).
Accommodation
Sukothai Resort
We stayed at the Sukothai
resort which is a nice place, but I don't recommended it for
independent travellers because it's too far from the ruins (27 km),
although they did really help us out giving us a lift with 1 of their
employees and afterwards picking us up in New Sukothai.
The hotel is set amidst a nice garden with pond and suspension bridge.The rooms are spacious and have fridge, TV and telephone.
The AC was not strong enough for the room. Bathroom with private bath
and shower.Safe at reception. Transfer to Sukothai airport costs 80
Bht, to Phitsanulok 600 Bht. The restaurant lacks atmosphere with neon
lightning and can be overrun with tour groups.
Price for a double is 1.800 Bht, in low season 1.000 Bht, but you can get it with a broker for 900 Bht (3/99).
Thai village
A better option for independent travellers on a midrange budget is the
Thai Village at 1 km of the ruins. They charge 500 to 600 Bht for a
double room with AC, fridge, TV, bathroom, breakfast is extra at about
100 Bht. The rooms are in teak wooden bungalows surrounded by a moat. I
think it's a little bit overpriced, but the location is good.
The attached restaurant is OK according to the guidebooks, but we weren't impressed with their chicken noodle soup.
Transfer from Sukothai airport costs 160 Bht pp.
Rajthanee hotel
It's situated in the center of New Sukothai (at 12 km of the ruins) and
it's really to be avoided. They charge 650 Bht for a double with
bathroom, but the place is really rundown. Their leaflet of the hotel
looks good, but wait until you see the rooms. They also have
tourgroups.
Paylin Hotel
This is a luxury hotel at 4 km of the ruins, but I didn't go inside.
Visiting the ruins
The ruins are quite nice, but I strongly advise from a photographer 's point of view to visit it in the morning.
Most Buddha statues are facing east. One exception is the sunset behind
Wat Sa Si (see picture at LP guide) which is very beautiful.
The best way to visit is of course to rent a bike, this costs 20 Bht.
There
are motorbikes costing 100 Bht for 1 hour, 200 Bht for 3 hours, but you
only need this if you want to visit temples further away like Wat
Saphan Hin. Wat Phra Pai Luang can be done by bike also.
Entrance to the temples is 40 Bht pp. It's not really worth going to Wat Saphan Hin, the view is not that good.
If you have time you can also visit Si Satchanalai at 50 km from Sukothai.
Getting there
By plane
Bangkok Airways
There's 1 plane a day from CM and from BKK with Bangkok Airways. From CM, the plane arrives at 12.25, from BKK at 10.20 am.
They
now have a good deal saying you can book the BKK-CM flight for 1.400
Bht, and stop in Sukothai and spend 1 to 3 nights there before flying
through (3/99).
The Sukothai airport is really very small
with I guess not more then 20 to 50 passengers a day (of the 72
passengers on our plane, only 8 got off). So, there are no touts or
taxi drivers waiting for you there. The only option you have is taking
a shuttle charging between 80 to 160 Bht pp depending on which hotel
you go to.
With Thai Airways
Thai doesn't fly to Sukothai, but only to Phitsanulok, about 60 km from Sukothai. They have several flights.
If
you're in a hurry, you could take a morning flight. Then you could rent
a car with driver to visit the Sukothai ruins for about 1.000 Bht ( a 1
way taxi trip costs 600 Bht) (3/99).
A bus into town costs 50 Bht.
By bus
There are buses from CM to Sukothai taking 4 to 6 hours.
There are also several buses to Phitsanulok. These are the schedules (3/99):
-
From CM 27 buses a day from 5.50 am till 1.30 am. 4 AC buses at 5.50
am, 7.25 am, 2 pm and 4 pm. Fare is 86-106 Bht and 146-155 Bht for AC.
By train
Trains stop at Phitsanulok,
not at Sukothai. The night train coming from CM stops here at 23.34
(express) and at 1.07 am (special express).
Accommodation
Sukothai Resort
We stayed at the Sukothai
resort which is a nice place, but I don't recommended it for
independent travellers because it's too far from the ruins (27 km),
although they did really help us out giving us a lift with 1 of their
employees and afterwards picking us up in New Sukothai.
The hotel is set amidst a nice garden with pond and suspension bridge.The rooms are spacious and have fridge, TV and telephone.
The AC was not strong enough for the room. Bathroom with private bath
and shower.Safe at reception. Transfer to Sukothai airport costs 80
Bht, to Phitsanulok 600 Bht. The restaurant lacks atmosphere with neon
lightning and can be overrun with tour groups.
Price for a double is 1.800 Bht, in low season 1.000 Bht, but you can get it with a broker for 900 Bht (3/99).
Thai village
A better option for independent travellers on a midrange budget is the
Thai Village at 1 km of the ruins. They charge 500 to 600 Bht for a
double room with AC, fridge, TV, bathroom, breakfast is extra at about
100 Bht. The rooms are in teak wooden bungalows surrounded by a moat. I
think it's a little bit overpriced, but the location is good.
The attached restaurant is OK according to the guidebooks, but we weren't impressed with their chicken noodle soup.
Transfer from Sukothai airport costs 160 Bht pp.
Rajthanee hotel
It's situated in the center of New Sukothai (at 12 km of the ruins) and
it's really to be avoided. They charge 650 Bht for a double with
bathroom, but the place is really rundown. Their leaflet of the hotel
looks good, but wait until you see the rooms. They also have
tourgroups.
Paylin Hotel
This is a luxury hotel at 4 km of the ruins, but I didn't go inside.
Visiting the ruins
The ruins are quite nice, but I strongly advise from a photographer 's point of view to visit it in the morning.
Most Buddha statues are facing east. One exception is the sunset behind
Wat Sa Si (see picture at LP guide) which is very beautiful.
The best way to visit is of course to rent a bike, this costs 20 Bht.
There
are motorbikes costing 100 Bht for 1 hour, 200 Bht for 3 hours, but you
only need this if you want to visit temples further away like Wat
Saphan Hin. Wat Phra Pai Luang can be done by bike also.
Entrance to the temples is 40 Bht pp. It's not really worth going to Wat Saphan Hin, the view is not that good.
If you have time you can also visit Si Satchanalai at 50 km from Sukothai.
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