| Sukhothai is to modern Thailand what Rome is | | | | the ordinary style of goldencraft commonly |
| to Italy, or Athens to Greece, starting | | | | being sold and purchased, but is the golden |
| point, golden age, departed glory. It was the | | | | ornaments being renewable hand making by |
| first independent Thai state. It gave its | | | | local hand weaving. |
| name to one of Thailands most fertile styles | | | | |
| of Buddhist art, credited with introducing | | | | Sukhothai used to export enormous numbers of |
| the walking Buddha to the world. | | | | its pottery products in old time. The |
| | | | sustaining production is still ready to serve |
| Its has turned up in places as far flung as | | | | the tourists who want both to purchase and to |
| the Philippines. Its ruins constitute a | | | | have snapshots on the kilns. |
| UNESCO World Heritage Site, placing it on par | | | | |
| with the Acropolis and Angkor Wat. If we had | | | | Loi Krathong Festival Thailands loveliest |
| no Sukhothai, Ayudhya, and Bangkok, said the | | | | festival is celebrated on the full moon of |
| present King of Thailand, Thailand itself | | | | the twelfth lunar month, usually mid |
| would be devoid of meaning. | | | | November. It is particularly picturesque amid |
| | | | the ruins of Sukhothais Historical Park. |
| The old city of Sukhothai is partially | | | | |
| enclosed by walls forming a rectangle | | | | The festival is believed to have originated |
| measuring 2 km by 1.6 km. In the centre of | | | | in Sukhothai some 700 years ago. When one of |
| the rectangle is the main temple, Wat Phra | | | | the kings concubines fashioned a lantern from |
| That. | | | | carved fruit, bearing a lighted candle and |
| | | | sent it floating away during one of the kings |
| As with many of Sukhothais temples, Phra That | | | | nightly river cruises. |
| is remarkable not so much for its | | | | |
| architecture, which is pocked and crumbling, | | | | Under the full moon, people float small |
| but for the numerous and gigantic Buddha | | | | banana leaf boats bearing a flower, lighted |
| statues some up to 9 meters tall that sit, | | | | incense, a lighted candle and a small coin to |
| stand, or walk amidst the ruins. | | | | honour the water spirits and to float away |
| | | | the previous years sins. |
| It is almost as if the creators had intended | | | | |
| to contrast the eternal and superlative | | | | Come anytime of year if your looking for |
| nature of the Buddha with the ephemerality | | | | something different and dont forget to enjoy |
| and baseness of the material world. | | | | yourself, as this is a culture that has to |
| | | | be seen to be believed. |
| Si Satchanalai Traditional Gold is not only | | | | |