Central Thailand

Thursday 25 November 1999 – Saturday 27 November 1999          

From Nan we flew to Phitsanulok, which was to be a stepping stone from which we planned to explore the nearby historical attractions of Sukhothai and Si Satchanalai.

As Thailand’s first capital, Sukhothai flourished from the mid 13th to late 14th centuries, a period regarded as the golden age of Thai civilization.  Today, the old town of Sukhothai encompasses about 20 square miles of ruins which have been made into an historical park.

The Sukhothai temple architecture is most typified by the classic lotus bud stupa, which features a conical spire topping a square-sided structure on a three-tiered base.  The ruins at Si Satchanalai are in the same basic style as those at Sukhothai, but with some slightly larger sights.  They are set among hills and are much less visited that the Sukhothai ruins.  Needless to say, the camera was in constant use …

The following day, we were on another flight into Bangkok.  Although this was to be our third trip to Bangkok, we still hadn’t completed the sightseeing circuit and although we were to be there for five days, organizing visas and flights to our next destinations, it was still on our list of places to see by the time we left.

Here are some pictures of our visit to Bangkok (we're still working on the write-up):