Major city · Thailand
Sukhothaiสุโขทัย
Give Sukhothai one full day and one night: the Historical Park by bicycle at opening (check current hours), then move on. Two nights only if you add Si Satchanalai.
Sukhothai is a small town 427 km north of Bangkok and the site of the first Thai capital, whose ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ruins sit 14 km west of the modern town, so the trip is a logistics exercise: get in, rent a bicycle or scooter, ride the park early, sleep near the old city or the bus station, leave. Most travellers give it one night between Bangkok and Chiang Mai.
More ways in
Local time, weather, currency, airports
- Weather
- see forecast
- Currency
- THB
- Best months
- Nov–Feb
- avoid Mar–May (hot and hazy), Sep–Oct (wettest)
- Airports
- THS · PHS
- Nights
- 1–2
Rules in force · 6Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore…
- Southeast Asia ↗Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Brunei and Myanmar; never carry a bag or parcel for anyone.
- Southeast Asia ↗Carry a passport valid for at least six months from entry with two blank pages; airlines refuse boarding on less.
- Thailand ↗Check entry rules and any arrival card on the official Thai government sites for your passport; visa-exempt stays and pre-arrival forms change.
- Thailand ↗Do not criticise or mock the monarchy: insulting the royal family is a criminal offence.
- Thailand ↗Temples and palaces: shoulders and knees covered, shoes off before entering halls.
- Thailand ↗E-cigarettes and vapes are illegal to import or use; do not pack them.
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾
In this guide
Not in this guide yet
- Walking areas with bag rules
- Day plans checked against opening hours
- Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
- Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Sukhothai191 ▾
Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.
EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost
Essentials
Quick answers and what things cost
Quick answers
The questions people ask first about Sukhothai, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.
- Cash or card?Currency is the Thai baht (THB, ฿).Thailand-wide
- SIM or eSIMAIS and TrueMove H sell tourist SIMs at airport arrivals; passport registration is required.Thailand-wide
- Tap waterNot drinkable from the tap.Thailand-wide
- TippingSit-down restaurant: Leave ฿20–100 (≈ US$1–4) or the coins; skip it if a 10% service charge is on the bill.Thailand-wide
- Plugs & powerSockets A/B/C/O. US/Canada (A/B): fits · UK/Ireland (G): adapter · Australia/NZ (I): adapter. 220 V: US 120 V-only devices (hair dryers) need a converter; most chargers are dual-voltage.Thailand-wide
- SafetySukhothai is generally safe for tourists.
Show all 12 answers
- RestroomsWestern toilets in malls and hotels; squat toilets with a water bucket in rural stops.Thailand-wide
- Emergency numbers191 police · 1669 ambulance · 1155 tourist police (not 911, 999 or 000)
- Sundays & holidaysMany Bangkok street-food vendors stay off the main roads on Mondays (street-cleaning day in several districts)…Thailand-wide
- Your embassyFind your embassy's 24-hour line before you fly.
- AirportTHS Sukhothai Airport (Bangkok Airways from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, about 1 h 20 min; some services continue to Lampang.
- Getting aroundThe ruins are 14 km (8.7 mi) west of New Sukhothai.The ruins are 8.7 mi (14 km) west of New Sukhothai.
Cost cheat-sheet
Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.
- CoffeeCoffee or iced drink฿40–80 (≈ US$2–3)
- Street or quick mealNoodle soup or rice plate฿50–120 (≈ US$2–4)
- Beerdraught / can at a shop฿70–120 (≈ US$3–4)฿35–60 (≈ US$2)
- Museum or sight ticketHistorical Park zone admission฿100 (≈ US$4) per zone
- Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per person฿300 (≈ US$10)
- Mid-range bedGuesthouse double room, a night, per room฿1,200 (≈ US$40)
- High-end bedGuesthouse double room, a night, per room฿2,800 (≈ US$90)
A day, not counting the bed: Budget ฿900 (≈ US$30) · Mid ฿1,800 (≈ US$60) · High ฿4,000 (≈ US$130)
Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →
DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works
Decide
What it is known for, and when the weather works
At a glance
What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.
- Airports
- THS Sukhothai Airport (Bangkok Airways from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, about 1 h 20 min; some services continue to Lampang. Fares from about ฿1,700.) · PHS Phitsanulok Airport (About 1 h by road from Sukhothai (check); AirAsia flies here from Bangkok Don Mueang, about 1 h.)
Best months at a glance
From the guide's best and avoid lists
Jan
Best
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
Feb
Best
35°C (95°F)95°F (35°C)
Mar
Avoid
37°C (99°F)99°F (37°C)
Apr
Avoid
38°C (100°F)100°F (38°C)
May
Avoid
36°C (97°F)97°F (36°C)
Jun
not flagged
34°C (93°F)93°F (34°C)
Jul
not flagged
33°C (91°F)91°F (33°C)
Aug
not flagged
33°C (91°F)91°F (33°C)
Sep
Avoid
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
Oct
Avoid
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
Nov
Best
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
Dec
Best
30°C (86°F)86°F (30°C)
Best: Nov–Feb. Avoid: Mar–May, Sep–Oct. Month by month →
Warmest Apr (38°C (100°F)100°F (38°C)), coolest Dec (18°C (64°F)64°F (18°C) low), wettest Sep (18 rain days), driest Jan (1). Averages, not a forecast.
Weather and climate
Sukhothai: next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Air quality
Loading…
Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.
Jan
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
19°C (66°F)66°F (19°C)
1 rd
Feb
35°C (95°F)95°F (35°C)
21°C (70°F)70°F (21°C)
2 rd
Mar
37°C (99°F)99°F (37°C)
24°C (75°F)75°F (24°C)
4 rd
Apr
38°C (100°F)100°F (38°C)
26°C (79°F)79°F (26°C)
8 rd
May
36°C (97°F)97°F (36°C)
25°C (77°F)77°F (25°C)
14 rd
Jun
34°C (93°F)93°F (34°C)
25°C (77°F)77°F (25°C)
15 rd
Jul
33°C (91°F)91°F (33°C)
25°C (77°F)77°F (25°C)
16 rd
Aug
33°C (91°F)91°F (33°C)
24°C (75°F)75°F (24°C)
17 rd
Sep
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
24°C (75°F)75°F (24°C)
18 rd
Oct
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
23°C (73°F)73°F (23°C)
10 rd
Nov
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
3 rd
Dec
30°C (86°F)86°F (30°C)
18°C (64°F)64°F (18°C)
1 rd
High / low, both scales · rd = rain days
Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in
Arrive & move
Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in
Getting around
The ruins are 14 km west of New Sukhothai. Blue songthaews run from the bus station and from Charodwithitong Rd to the park gate for ฿30. Bicycles rent opposite the main park entrance; scooters rent in New Sukhothai for about ฿250–300 a day. Tuk-tuks to the old city should cost about ฿300 for a couple of hours, ฿600 for a full day.
Nearest full guides
Straight-line distance, not travel time
See & doDay-trips, door to door
See & do
Day-trips, door to door
Day-trips
Si Satchanalai Historical Park
goDoor to door: About 1–1.5 h (check)
Bus or songthaew toward Si Satchanalai, then a local ride to the park (check)
Second UNESCO site of the old kingdom; quieter than Sukhothai and worth the half day.
Phitsanulok
goDoor to door: About 1 h
Air-conditioned bus from the No 1 terminal, about hourly 06:00–18:00Air-conditioned bus from the No 1 terminal, about hourly 6:00 AM–6:00 PM
Railhead for Bangkok and Chiang Mai; ฿39 bus.
Door to door: About 2 h
Bus south, then local transport to the ruins
Another ruined city; only worth it if you are already moving south.
Mae Sot
overnightDoor to door: About 3 h
Minibus from the station behind the market
Border town toward Myanmar; ฿130. Too far for a return day.
Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in
Eat & sleep
Which area to sleep in
Where to sleep
Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.
New Sukhothai (Charodwithitong Rd)
Guesthouses, food and the bus station; 15 min walk from the bus station into town. Best for onward travel.
Old Sukhothai (near the park gate)
Walk or cycle to the ruins at opening; fewer services, quieter evenings. Best for one full park day.
PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card
Practical
What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card
Cost per day
- Budget
- ฿800–1,400 (≈ US$25–45) excl. bed
- Mid
- ฿1,400–2,800 (≈ US$45–90) excl. bed
- High
- ฿2,800 (≈ US$90)+ excl. bed
Trip budget
| Guesthouse double room1 × 1 night × ฿1,200 | ฿1,200 |
| Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × ฿1,800 | ฿3,600 |
| Historical Park, central zone admission2 × ฿100 | ฿200 |
| Bicycle rental, one day2 × ฿50 · check | ฿100 |
| Songthaew to the old city, both ways2 × ฿60 | ฿120 |
| eSIM, about a week of data2 × ฿300 · check | ฿600 |
| Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge | ฿582 |
| Trip total≈ ฿3,201 per person per day, bed included | ฿6,402≈ US$200 |
check
2026 estimate in baht; flights and long-distance buses excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.
Prices of common things
| Coffee or iced drink | ฿40–80 (≈ US$2–3) |
| Noodle soup or rice plate | ฿50–120 (≈ US$2–4) |
| Beer: draught / can at a shop | ฿70–120 (≈ US$3–4) / ฿35–60 (≈ US$2) |
| Songthaew ride in town | ฿10–30 (≈ under US$1) |
| Scooter rental, 24 h | ฿250–300 (≈ US$8–10) |
| Historical Park zone admission | ฿100 (≈ US$4) per zone |
2026 estimate; check locally.
Watch out
Safety
- The park is split into five zones and each zone charges its own admission; the combined ticket is no longer sold.
- Buddhist temples face east: after midday you photograph into the sun.
- Some review sites mix up the temples; check the name on the sign before you trust a review.
- Tuk-tuk drivers at the bus station may say the walk into town is impossible; it is a 15-minute path.
Emergency numbers
- Police
- 191
- Ambulance
- 1669
- Tourist police
- 1155
Pocket card
Fill in, then print or save as PDF
Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.
Sukhothaiสุโขทัย
Pocket card · Voykit
My bed tonight
—
—
—
ไปที่ที่อยู่นี้To this address, please
Emergency
- Police191
- Ambulance1669
- Tourist police1155
Embassy
No embassies in Sukhothai; the US and most Western missions are in Bangkok. Consular help locally: tourist police 1155.
My embassy: —
Fare anchors (2026 estimate)
- Songthaew New Sukhothai → Old City: ฿30 (≈ under US$1), about 30 min
- Tuk-tuk to the old city, half day: about ฿300 (≈ US$10)
- Bus Sukhothai → Phitsanulok: ฿39 (≈ US$2), about 1 h
Say or show
- สวัสดี — Hello (sawatdee)
- ขอบคุณ — Thank you (khop khun)
- เท่าไหร่ — How much is it? (tao rai)
- แพงไป — Too expensive (phaeng pai)
- ห้องน้ำอยู่ไหน — Where is the toilet? (hong nam yu nai)
- จ่ายบัตรได้ไหม — Can I pay by card? (jai bat dai mai)
Park zones open 06:30–19:30, to 21:00 on Saturdays.
Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources
Deep dive
What this guide covers so far, and its sources
Not a trip line yet
This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Sukhothai. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.
What we know, and what is coming
On this page
- Best months: Nov–Feb · avoid Mar–May (hot and hazy), Sep–Oct (wettest) · month by month →
- 2 airports and 2 areas to sleep in
- Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
- Cost per day in 3 bands
- 4 day-trips, door to door
- 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers
Coming as the guide grows
- Airport-to-bed contract for THS and PHS: last ground transport, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
- Zone-by-zone park pages with verified admission, opening hours and bicycle rental points.
- Eat pages for New Sukhothai with last orders and noodle-shop hours.
- Si Satchanalai day-trip fixture with bus times and return options.