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