Visit Thailand 's World Heritage Sites ( Part One )Prepared by Harold Stephens
Travel Correspondent for Thai Airways International
In Thailand, once known to the world as Siam, lost kingdoms and even vanished civilizations are forever being re-discovered. These sites, many having been forgotten, are Thailand’s national treasures today. Indeed, in a land whose history dates back thousands of years, Indiana Jones has a lot cut out for him. So in the meantime, put on a fedora hat, a neckerchief to wipe your brow and hiking boots to climb over old ruins and let me lead you on a tour of Thailand’s six historical sites.
These six destinations have been recognized by UNESCO and were given the title of World Heritage Sites for their outstanding value for Thailand as the kingdom’s historic and natural conservation sites. The sites are Ban Chiang, Sukhothai, Si Satchanalai, Kamphaeng Phet, Ayutthaya and Thung Yai Naresuan & Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries. But don’t let all these names be confusing. I will work my way through them slowly. This week I will cover the first four and next week it will be Ayutthaya and the wildlife sanctuaries.
First on our list is Ban Chiang. With the discovery of Ban Chiang in northern Thailand, history textbooks have to be rewritten. For decades historians have placed the cradle of civilization in the Middle East, around 3500 BC in Mesopotamia, in what they called the “Fertile Crescent,” the valley between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers that flow through modern Iraq down to the Persian Gulf.
The discoveries in Ban Chiang have changed all this. It began when a young American named Stephen Young, a Harvard sociology student and son of a former American ambassador to Thailand, stumbled onto a prehistoric burial site near the village of Ban Chiang, and there in an open field noticed many shards of pottery. He showed his find to the Fine Arts Department in Bangkok—and much of history was turned topsy-turvy. The year was 1966.
The Fine Arts Department submitted fragments of round-topped pots for carbon dating and discovered that they dated back to around 4600 BC. More excavations unearthed a rich collection of iron and bronze tools and utensils that were buried alongside human skeletons.
Could these discoveries mean the dawn of civilization began not in the Middle East, as history has recorded it, but instead in a small village in a remote corner of northern Thailand? Serious excavations were now needed. From the University of Pennsylvania came American archeologist, Dr. Chester Gorman, and assigned to the project from the National Museum in Bangkok was the Thai archeologist, Dr. Pisit Charoenwongsa.
Dr. Gorman and Dr. Pisit began digging in earnest at the Ban Chiang site, and were soon uncovering bronze artifacts in ancient grave mounds in both Ban Chiang and nearby Non Nok Tha, along with some pottery dating from between about 4600 and 3500 BC. Within two years, they unearthed 126 human skeletons and 18 tons of artifacts. The pair identified seven separate layers of remains at Ban Chiang. The lowest, reaching back to about 3600 BC, was some 16 feet (5 metres) below ground level; and it was here that the diggers found their historical bombshell not only a bronze spearhead lying beside a skeleton but also a second skeleton that was wearing bronze anklets and a third with bronze bracelets.
Specimens that were sent to the University of Pennsylvania for Thermo-Luminescence testing proved to be older than Mesopotamian bronzes from 3000 BC and Chinese bronzes from 2000 BC. Prehistoric man settled in this part of northeastern Thailand between 3600 BC and 200 AD. In time they had mastered bronze and, later, iron manufacture, and then developed skills in making pottery and glass beads, in weaving techniques and in the cultivation of rice. Unfortunately Chet Gorman died a few years ago. He was a friend and I went on a few excursions with him and I miss him. There was so much more that he wanted to do in the field of archaeology. He was the true Indiana Jones.
Today, Ban Chiang is a laid-back village that is worth a visit. Family-run creative cottage industries produce replica earthenware here and in the neighboring village of Ban Pulu. The Ban Chiang National Museum (open daily 9am-4pm), displays an excellent collection of earthenware ceramics, bronze jewellery and tools, stone objects and shells, as well as glass beads.
Next on the list of World Heritage is Sukhothai. No trip to Thailand would be complete without a visit to the birthplace of the Thai nation and the country's first capital.
The old city of Sukhothai is 14 kilometres from the new town. It may be confusing at first, for the ruins at Sukhothai extend over an area of 70 square kms. There are rubbles of ruins, some only stacks of laterite bricks, scattered everywhere. You will come face-to-face with a wall and beyond the gate is the old city.
What I find most astounding about ancient Sukhothai is that it remained virtually undiscovered, or at least unexplored, until recent years. When French archaeologist Lucien Fournerau visited the ruins in 1890, he found ancient monuments completely buried under the thick foliage. Today, the monuments visited by Fournerau have been restored by the Fine Arts Department and transformed into Sukothai Historical Park. It is the site of Thailand's original capital and birthplace of the Thai nation, and one of the preeminent archaeological sites in Southeast Asia. Sukhothai is to Thailand what Angkor is to Cambodia, Borobudur to Indonesia, and Bagan to Myanmar. Within the national historic park are dozens of restored temples, palaces, Khmer prangs, and gigantic Buddha images. And the uncovering of sites continues with new finds and discoveries being made regularly.
Two Thai princes who liberated themselves from Khmer domination by establishing the first independent kingdom in Thailand founded Sukhothai in 1238. Although the city was but one of hundreds of small city-states in the region, it enjoyed a privileged location midway between the ancient empires of the Khmers to the east and Bagan to the west. Preaching a philosophy of political cooperation rather than military might, early kings of Sukhothai successfully united many of the small principalities between Laos and Malaysia to form the most brilliant empire in Thai history.
It would be impossible to list all the temples but I can give Chedi Ngan as an example. It is one of the most significant temples that were restored in 1965. It was constructed on a hilltop and a gravel path leads uphill to the temple. At the base of the hill is a plaque that gives the full story and history of Chedi Ngan. This is only one of many hundred temples, each an adventure in itself. You can drive around the outside of the old city for kilometres.
The city continued to prosper through a succession of six kings until losing a power struggle in 1378 with the rising kingdom of Ayutthaya. The last vestige of autonomy was lost in 1438 when the final king abdicated and Sukhothai came under the rule of an Ayutthayan prince and the once proud city fell into ruin. In 1977 the Thai government, with assistance from UNESCO, began a restoration project that culminated in the completion of the Sukhothai National Historical Park in 1993.
Determined bicyclists who don't mind working up a sweat can reach all major monuments in a single day, including those to the far west and south. Ruins are described with English-language signboards and are safe to visit. Bicycles can be rented at the park entrance.
Unlike Ayutthaya, foreign invaders never destroyed Sukhothai and much of the city was abandoned intact. Preserved yet forgotten, Sukhothai lay abandoned and buried in jungle until the 18th and 19th centuries when the Chakri kings from the new capital of Bangkok began retrieving its lost treasures and displaying them in the newly-built palaces and temples.
Our third destination and World Heritage Site is Si Satchanalai The ancient town of Si Satchanalai was a satellite city to Sukhothai, situated on a lonely wooded plain about 50 km. north of the modern town of Sukhothai on the east bank of the Yom River. Strategically protected by mountains, swamps and river rapids, the remote, peaceful locale, with an incredible 134 temples and monuments, has been independently declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, yet surprisingly sees far fewer visitors than neighboring Sukhothai. The tranquility of historic ruins, heightened by an absence of human traffic, evokes a feeling of discovering a lost city.
Established in the 13th century as a Khmer military outpost, the town became the official residence for Sukhothai's successive Prince Regents. Formerly called Muang Chaliang, and during the Ayutthayan era was also known as Suwankhalok, the town was linked to Sukhothai by a 50 km. long road called the Phra Ruang Highway. This commercial centre was strongly fortified with a 10 metre wide moat lined with wooden spikes and three rows of perimeter walls in what is known as one of Thailand's best-planned cities. Apart from being a pleasure to explore, Si Satchanalai is also well recognized for the masterful ceramics produced in the nearby villages of Ban Ha Yang and Ban Ko-Noi to the north.
One principal site that should not be missed is Wat Chang Lom. Meaning 'Elephant Temple' after the 39-stucco elephant sculptures that surround the central bell-shaped chedi base, Wat Chang Lorn in Si Satchanalai was built in 1285 by King Ramkamhaeng the Great. This most sacred of pagodas is Thailand's earliest example of Ceylonese-style temple architecture. Beautifully ornamental laterite terraces, columns and a wall encircle the monument, with a line of niches that house stucco Buddha images peacefully meditating.
Our fourth World Heritage site for this week is a defensive Citadel called Kamphaeng Phet, located 80 kilometres south of Sukhothai in the opposite direction to Si Satchanalai. Away from the main tourist trail, Kamphaeng Phet (Diamond Wall) lies on the banks of the Ping River and was once a strategic garrison town for the defense of the mighty Sukhothai kingdom.
Although settlements date back to the 11th century, the Old City was established in 1347 by King Li Thai. To date, the ruins have been less restored than Sukhothai, and the 400-hectare Old City with its overgrown temples and six-metre high laterite walls has a wilder and more untouched atmosphere compared to its familiar neighbour.
Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park is roughly divided into two areas – the sights within the city walls and those beyond to the north. Some of the highlights include Wat Phra Kaeo, the park's largest ruin with its weathered Buddha statues and chedi, and behind the temple, is Kamphaeng Phet National Museum which holds an interesting collection of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures. Also worthy of perusal is Wat Phrathat with its fine chedi and the Lak Mueang or City Pillar Shrine, whose guardian spirits protect local residents. Beyond the city walls are an intriguing collection of ruined forest temples, such as Wat Chang Rop (Elephant Temple), which date from the 14th - 16th centuries and were once the home of a meditation sect.
Next week we travel to Thailand’s fifth and sixth World Heritage sites.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERSQ. Dear Mr. Stephens. I read with interest your article about the jungles in Thailand Outdoors. I enjoyed it very much, but I am confused. What you have to say doesn’t jibe with what the press has to say about the destruction of the rain forests of Asia and South America. They tell us that the wild life is disappearing. Who do we believe? Can you tell your readers? Charley Schaffer, NYA.
Dear Charley. Thailand has 48 national parks, many of which are easily accessible to the visitor. Two parks have been placed on UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and these will appear in Weekly Travel Feature next week. Some of your questions will be answered then. —HS
Harold Stephens
Bangkok
E-mail: ROH Weekly Travel (booking@inet.co.th)
Note: The article is the personal view of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the view of Thai Airways International Public Company Limited. | 
