The Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It includes Sukhothai Historical Park, Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park, and Si Satchanalai Historical Park. These parks protect the ruins of the three main cities of the Sukhothai Kingdom. The kingdom was the first Thai kingdom and existed from the 13th to the 14th century CE.
Sukhothai Historical Park
Sukhothai Historical Park has the ruins of Sukhothai, which means "Dawn of Happiness," the capital of the Sukhothai Kingdom during the 13th and 14th centuries. It is located in northern Thailand, near the modern city of Sukhothai, which is the capital of a province with the same name. The city walls form a rectangle that is 2 kilometers from east to west and 1.6 kilometers from north to south. The park includes 193 ruins spread across 70 square kilometers of land. Each wall has a gate in the middle. Inside the park are the remains of the royal palace and twenty-six temples, with the largest temple being Wat Mahathat.
Si Satchanalai Historical Park
Si Satchanalai Historical Park (Thai: อุทยานประวัติศาสตร์ศรีสัชนาลัย) includes the remains of Si Satchanalai, which was the second most important town of the Sukhothai Kingdom. The park is located along the Yom River, near the modern town of Si Satchanalai in Sukhothai Province. There are 215 ruins within the park.
Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park
Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park (Thai: อุทยานประวัติศาสตร์กำแพงเพชร) is an ancient site located in Kamphaeng Phet. Important parts of the park include remains from old settlements such as Mueang Chakangrao to the east of the Ping River, Mueang Nakhon Chum to the west, and Mueang Trai Trueng, which is about 18 kilometers southwest of the town. Chakangrao, the ancient town of Kamphaeng Phet, was designed with a similar layout to the old cities of Sukhothai and Si Satchanalai. Religious buildings were placed in separate areas both inside and outside the town. Many structures are large and made of laterite. Religious sites on the west bank of the Ping River at Nakhon Chum are smaller and built with bricks. City walls and old defensive structures outline the rectangular shape of the town area, which is 300 to 700 meters wide and 2,200 meters long.