Si Satchanalai
Si Satchanalai, former twin town of the first Thai capital Sukhothai, lies in the extreme north of the central plain (420 km (260 mi.) from Bangkok) on the right bank of Menam Yom, which makes its way through rocky green countryside here
The old town, somewhat off the tourist trail and less well known than Sukothai, is one of the most interesting seas of debris in Thailand. The magnificence of the young Thai empire found expression in buildings of high quality. The new town of Si Satchanalai, about 11 km (9 mi.) from the ruins, and the modern Sawankhalok (18 km (11 mi.)) were founded in the 19th c.
By car: from Sukhothai route 101 (55 km (34 mi.)).
By bus: regular connections from Sukhothai and Phitsanulok.
By rail: nearest station Sawankhalok (29 km (18 mi.)).
By air: nearest airport Phitsanulok (114 km (71 mi.)).
Si Satchanalai was founded around 1250, at the same time as Sukhothai, as a second seat of the Sukhothai empire (for the viceroy, usually the crown prince). Two Thai princes from the surrounding area had defeated the Khmer governor of Sukhothai in a bloody war; one of them pronounced himself king of Sukhothai, Si Satchanalai and the surrounding area. He was succeeded by his son and then King Ramkhamhaeng, one of the most powerful personalities in Thai history. In the 17th c. Si Satchanalai fell to the kingdom of Ayutthaya, was renamed Sawankhalok and declined in importance. In the 18th c., when the Burmese threatened to attack again, it was abandoned by its inhabitants.
Si Satchanalai was laid out roughly in the shape of a right-angled triangle; parts of the once 5-m (16-ft) high wall from the 16th c. and the moat still remain. Two hills, once crowned with wats, dominate the surrounding region and offer good views of the ruins.
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