West Zone

The West zone of the Sukhothai Historical Park is a hilly and forested area that contains over a dozen little visited monuments. The area is located West of the walled old town between the road to Tak (Route 12) and the road through the Or gate in the ancient Western city wall.

Spread out over an area of several kilometers, it contains mostly small monuments in the forest and on hill tops, most of them a single stupa or other structure.

In the days of the Sukhothai empire the area was known as Aranyika. Monks studied the Tripitaka and practised meditation in forest temples. An ancient stone inscription mentions that Ramkhamhaeng, the third King of Sukhothai, visited the area regularly to pay his respects to a Buddha image, believed to be the standing Buddha image of the Wat Saphan Hin.

Wat Aranyik

The Wat Aranyik is a small temple comprising the remains of an ubosot (ordination hall), a viharn (assembly hall) and an ancient water well. The temple is located at the foot of a hill near the Wat Saphan Hin.

Wat Khao Phra Bat Noi

The Wat Khao Phra Bat Noi is a small forest temple on top of a mound near Wat Saphan Hin. In the days of the Sukhothai era monks practiced meditation in the tranquil forest environment.

Standing on a platform are two chedis and a viharn. Set on a square base is a well preserved chedi with niches that enshrined images of the Buddha. In front of are the remains of a viharn. Behind the first chedi stands an octagonal chedi, of which the upper part has collapsed. Scattered along the grounds are small meditation buildings large enough for one monk practicing meditation. Several footprints of the Buddha sculpted in stone were found at the temple, which are exhibited in the Ramkhamhaeng National Museum.

Wat Chedi Ngam

The Wat Chedi Ngam is a forest temple West of Wat Saphan Hin. Its name translates to “temple of the beautiful chedi”. A path of slate slabs leads up to the temple on top of a mound. Visible from the start of the path, a large well preserved bell shaped chedi in Singhalese style stands on a high square base. In front of it is the viharn, of which the base and rows of columns remain.

Wat Chang Rob

The Wat Chang Rob is a small temple found across the road from the Wat Aranyik. Its main attraction is the principal bell shaped chedi standing on a square base. Surrounding the base are the bodies of 24 elephant statues protruding out from the structure. Little is left of the elephants that seem to carry the chedi on their backs.

In front of the chedi stood the ubosot or ordination hall of which little more than a few pillars and a pedestal for an image of the Buddha remains. Surrounding the principal chedi and viharn were five smaller chedis, of which the base is left.

Wat Mangkorn

The Wat Mangkorn is found in a bend in the road between Wat Saphan Hin and the Or gate in the West wall of old Sukhothai. The name of the temple loosely translates to “temple of the dragon”. It is derived from sculptures of Makaras, a kind of sea monster from Hindu mythology that were found at the temple.

On the grounds are the remains of an ubosot surrounded by sema stones, a large bell shaped chedi in Singhalese style with truncated top standing on a large square base, a viharn and several smaller chedis. A unique feature of the Wat Mangkorn is the glazed Sangkhalok ceramic bars on the temple’s inner wall.

Wat Tuk

The Wat Tuk is located near the Or gate in the Western wall of old Sukhothai town. The temple consists of a mandapa, a viharn and a dozen small chedis.

Its most important building is a large, square mandapa with an entrance to the East. The other three walls are decorated with stuccoed reliefs that depict the descend of the Buddha from Tavatimsa Heaven. Unfortunately, the reliefs have largely disappeared.

Inside the structure are the remains of a seated Buddha image. In front of the mandapa stood a viharn, of which the base, pillars and a pedestal for the principal Buddha image remain today.

Thewalai Mahakaset

The Thewalai Mahakaset is a brick, square temple found West of the Or gate near the Wat Tuk. Its large brick columns that supported the roof are still standing. An ancient stone inscription states that images of the Hindu Gods Shiva and Vishnu were enshrined in the temple by King Li Thai in 1349.

Temples in the West Zone

Some of the temples in this zone are:

• Wat Saphan Hin

Other Zones in the park

• Central zone
• North zone
• East zone
• South zone