After a long day’s drive north through central Thailand we reach our next hotel, the Legendha Sukothai, which is based on the design of a traditional Thai village and has the ancient elephant temple Wat Chang Lom directly opposite its back gates.
I’m not sure that an actual traditional Thai village boasted a glorious swimming pool at its heart or a barman serving some of the best margaritas this side of Mexico (for less than £4!), but the beautiful meditation pagoda is a truly peaceful spot to practise mindfulness in, and the whole hotel has an air of tranquility and contemplation.
Sukothai was founded in 1238 and is viewed as the birthplace of the kingdom of Siam, and a time of peace and prosperity when the arts flourished. After the capital moved south to Ayutthaya just over a century later Sukothai remained a hugely important regional centre for another 100 years, and the art and designs born here have influenced the whole of Thai culture ever since. In fact, the very first images of a walking Buddha originate here, and the name Sukothai means ‘Dawn of Happiness’ as it was regarded as a Golden Age of Siam; an idyllic time for civilisation.
The next morning we rent bikes from opposite the entrance to Sukothai Historical Park, and Toto leads us around the huge Unesco World Heritage site, deemed to be one of the top five destinations in Southeast Asia, alongside Angkor Wat. It’s remarkably peaceful with far fewer crowds than Ayutthaya and cycling around the beautiful grounds is a magnificent way to spend the morning.
We start with the statue of King Rhamkhamhaeng who in 1283 invented the Thai alphabet. He ruled for twenty years with great compassion and his relationship with his subjects was said to be that of Father and Son rather than God and People. The original inscription stone he created to teach his people the alphabet is in the National Museum but a replica sits before his statue and another replica of the bell which symbolised happiness and peace is nearby. We ring it loudly hoping it may have some benefit for the year ahead.
The entire historical park is full of lakes and moats, with beautiful pink lilies, and winding cycle paths connecting the various monuments. It’s a truly special space, infused with a sense of peace, and one of the most enthralling ancient sites we’ve visited anywhere in the world.
The main temple is Wat Mahatat, with its mix of Lanna, Khmer and Sri Lankan Buddhist styles. At its heart is a very large ‘prang’ with disciples walking in salutation around its base and huge standing Buddhas either side. We continue on to Wat Si Sawai, Wat Trapang Ngoen and Wat Sa Si with their impressive temples and ancient Buddhas, roasting in the blazing heat of the day.
Once we leave the historical park area we drive through a banana plantation to the Banpraphim Amulet Learning Centre, where we are met by Kop. His family have lived on these grounds for six generations; the first three of them were mahouts for the king, but as the culture of riding elephants changed, his grandfather refocused to become an amulet maker, and Kop is keeping that tradition alive by showing tourists how to make them.
We learn that there are four types of Buddha amulets that can be made - sitting, standing, walking, reclining - and four types of material to make the amulets with - clay, bronze, limestone and banana. Kop and his wife show us how to mix limestone and banana to create a paste for our amulets. And then things take a slightly strange turn.
Kop asks us if we are a couple and do we love each other. We say yes, and then he asks us, very seriously, if we have an everlasting eternal love. We reply in the affirmative once more and he says he is going to make a special amulet for us, and chooses an elephant shaped mould before starting to knead the paste.
First he puts some gold leaf in the mould, then we have to cut a lock of hair each which he adds to the paste and presses into the elephant mould. We write our names on a ‘sacred’ leaf in a heart shape and then closing our eyes and joining our hands, he presses our palms onto the paste, with the leaf on top, and recites some prayers. We then have to kiss while our eyes are closed and our hands are joined.
Opening our eyes Kop now tells us our souls are bonded for eternity in one true love for all time. We will find each other in our future lives and be fellow travellers through time eternal, which is rather nice to know. He then takes our palms and inspects them, telling me I will have a very long life and that Coman is full of wisdom.
He seems extremely sincere and it feels like a meaningful moment, but all rather unexpected. He leaves us with his wife while we create a variety of amulets in various Buddha, Ganesha and lotus flower shapes, all of which we get to take away, along with some more professional souvenirs they gift us. The experience is rounded off with an archery lesson and a gift of organic bananas from their farm.
Next up we drive to Wat Si Chum, a remarkable monument where a huge white seated Buddha, with his lap alone measuring over 11 metres, is encased in a structure seemingly too small for it. From the outside it is reminiscent of some of the temples we have seen in ancient Egypt and up close it’s a pretty jaw-dropping sight. We then continue on to the ruined temple on an island called Wat Chai Mon, before stopping for lunch at the very nice Phum Phor restaurant, which follows the Jain traditions and thus provides excellent vegan food.
We finish our explorations with a quick visit to Wat Traphang Thong Amphoe Muang, located within Sukothai town itself next to the market on a man-made island surrounded by an ornamental moat. The temple was originally built during the reign of King Lithai of Sukhothai in 1360, but has been substantially renovated since then, particularly through the efforts of a great monk, who died a few years ago but was the 19th spiritual leader of Thailand.
In addition to a white Buddha temple there is also a stupa where a relic of Lord Buddha is supposedly housed. Toto, a devout Buddhist himself, explains that while some relics are fully accepted and recorded as fact, others are rather dubious and akin to the vast array of saintly relics that were claimed throughout medieval Europe.
Our explorations for the day now complete, No and Toto drive us back to our hotel where we finally get a good few hours of blissful relaxation by the pool. That evening we walk once more over the festooned bridge from our dwelling to the restaurant and enjoy a very good dinner while being entertained by traditional Thai dancers and musicians, evoking the spirit of Sukothai’s cultural life at its height.
It’s been a rather magnificent day!
