The ancient city of Sukhothai was the center of the Thai Nation for about 150 years before the rise of Ayuthaya. The guidebooks claim this to be the must do historical cultural experience in Thailand. We arrived here after already having more than our fill of wats and Buddhas so maybe I was biased but personally I found the much larger and more heavily decayed ruins of Ayuthaya to be more impressive. The remains here are much better preserved and closer together so you can easily see everything in a day with the help of a cheap bike rental. One notable site that stood out from the rest was the giant seated Buddha tightly squeezed into Wat Si Chum. The hand along was about six feet tall and is a favorite for postcards.
