Sukhothai

The name Sukhothai derives from Sanskrit meaning 'dawn of happiness.' The province lies in the Yom River basin, bordered by Phrae, Uttaradit, Phitsanulok, Kamphaeng Phet, Tak, and Lampang. Sukhothai Historical Park preserves the ruins of the original royal city, including the celebrated Wat Mahathat and Wat Si Chum with its enormous seated Buddha. The province was inscribed into UNESCO's Creative Cities Network for Crafts and Folk Arts in 2019, reflecting its living traditions of Sangkhalok ceramics and Loy Krathong festival, which is believed to have originated here. Agriculture in the Yom River plains, particularly rice cultivation, remains the economic foundation of the province's roughly 590,000 residents.