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"Dawn of Happiness"
Sukhothai (literally Dawn of Happiness), founded in 1238, was the capital of a Thai kingdom considerably larger than Thailand is now, for approximately 120 years. Today, it's just the capital of Sukhothai Province with an area of 2,546 square mile, approximately 267 miles north of Bangkok.
The former greatness of Sukhothai has been preserved in architectural monuments. Ruins of the royal palaces, Buddhist temples, the city gates, walls moats, dams, ditches, ponds, canals and the water dyke control system which was the economic base of the kingdom has been restored by the Fine Arts Department with the cooperation of the UNESCO, not only to foster Thailand's national identity but safeguard an important part of mankind's cultural heritage.
This provincial capital is split in two. New Sukhothai is a typical modern Thai style city with virtually nothing of interest except the Old Sukhothai 12 km to the west. Unlike Ayuthaya, where the ancient ruins are spread throughout the town, Sukhothai's ruins are separate in an area of their own. Old Sukhothai Historical Park is a huge area full of ruins in various stages of restoration which is well worth a visit.
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