The grandeur of Sukhothai

While the majority of visitors arriving in Sukhothai head straight to Sukhothai and Si Satchanalai Historical Parks, which were added to the list of the Unesco World Heritage Sites in 1999, this lower northern town itself provides a variety of local delights for those wanting to experience slow life, local wisdom and the splendour of nature.

Despite its success in the tourism industry, this ancient town has managed to maintain its wonderful cultural heritage by crafting high-quality porcelain, elaborate silverware and handwoven textiles using age-old techniques passed down through the generations. As a consequence, it was designated as a Unesco Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art in 2019 as well as a Unesco Learning City last year.

Heading out of downtown Sukhothai to Thung Saliam district, the lush 3,800 rai Ban Tha Tonthong community forest is billed as the province's green lung, which has the capacity to absorb 128,828 tonnes of carbon dioxide. With a focus on sustainable living, thousands of saliam (Siamese neem tree) and silver trumpet trees will be planted this rainy season to help purify the air and relieve global warming as part of the Low Emission Support Scheme.

It's a collective effort between the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration, PTT Exploration and Production, Bangkok for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, Provincial Office of Natural Resource and Environment Sukhothai and Thai Chana Suek Tambon Administrative Organization to create a bank of trees to promote sustainable tourism and increase the gross domestic product under the Bio-Circular Green Economy Model to 4.4 trillion baht in 2025.

The community has relied on this abundant woodland as a source of food, and year-round, local villagers visit to look for termite mushrooms, ant eggs and phak wan. The best-selling items during the peak season, which lasts from June to July, seem to be cycad fruits for making silky flour for local sweets and saliam, a key ingredient in recipes that can help treat skin conditions, fever, diarrhoea and nourish the heart.

Not far from the jungle, the Thai Chana Suek village serves as a gateway to the northern region and the Ban Mae Thulao Homestay showcases the Lanna way of life and traditions through a bespoke programme of eco-friendly leisure activities for day or overnight trips. It's the brainchild of talented artisan Srila Chomphoowan and her neighbours to turn their homes into welcoming lodges for groups of environmentally concerned guests.

"Back in 2011, we got together to make rice whisky to boost our income following the rice harvest, however, we were forced to cease our business due to tax complications. We later established a 5-star Otop fabric weaving group and applied our expertise to create apparel, accessories and home decor made of ethnic cotton and hemp fabric," says Mae Srila.

"We once engaged in an Otop Nawatwithi community tourism training programme and spent years learning about hospitality standards. In 2020, we decided to turn our houses into a lodge and offer a two-day, one-night homestay programme as well as handicraft workshops to convey the story of our community."

The group has 20 members and four residences that can accommodate up to 30 guests, with plans to add four more houses this year. Due to scheduling constraints, we opted for a half-day programme and began by having a typical lunch in a shady garden and enjoying the view of the fruit and vegetable plantations that surround the century-old canal.

Favourite dishes like kaeng khae gai (chicken and mixed vegetable curry), nam prik num (northern green chilli dip) and laab moo (spicy minced pork salad), all of which are prepared with local, seasonal ingredients, are on the menu.

To round up our lunch, Mae Srila and her sister taught us how to make Thung Saliam's famous dish, laab pla nam oot (spicy minced fish salad served with full-flavour fish soup). In another corner, a group of senior artisans showed us how to make colourful patchwork, elephant-like keyrings as well as chic earrings and handbags out of local materials like palm leaves.

"After relocating from Lamphun, Lampang and Chiang Mai, our grandparents settled in Thung Saliam, which is surrounded by a vast plain above the river making it an ideal site for cultivation. This area was originally full of fish and there are four weirs used in agriculture. This is ancient wisdom, so visitors can learn about local irrigation systems," she explained.

Visitors can take a 399 baht one-day trip that includes lunch, a DIY workshop and a canal cruise. The two-day, one-night homestay programme costs 600 baht for a pair of travellers and 950 baht for solo travellers and includes accommodation, breakfast, dinner, a DIY workshop and a cycling tour to see how local farmers grow rice from now until August before harvesting season begins in October.

Just a 10-minute drive from the homestay, Wat Thung Saliam stands at the heart of the neighbourhood and houses a highly-revered Luang Por Sila statue. It was stolen in 1977 and discovered in 1994 in the private collection of an American collector before Charoen Pokphand Group chairman Dhanin Chearavanont paid 5.2 million baht to bring it back home in 1996.

This Lopburi-style Buddha statue with the hood of a mythical serpent was made of sandstones and is currently housed in a mondop, where worshippers gather to offer prayers for protection, success and good health.

Visitors can also visit a nearby sermon hall and admire eye-catching murals on the walls and pillars, which combine modern art and traditional craftsmanship to recount Lord Buddha's life, the way of modern life and His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej's royal initiatives.

After a brief drive, we arrived at Wat Pipat Mongkol where the ancient gold Sukhothai-style Luang Por Thongkham statue in the position of subduing Mara is housed. This monastery compound was constructed in 1983 on 196 rai plots of land where ruins of an old temple from the Sukhothai kingdom formerly stood. With a budget of more than 200 million baht, it has stunning Lanna-style architectural designs, including multi-tiered roofs, ornate stucco artwork, naga-like stairways, and sculptures of mythical creatures to honour top-notch Thai craftsmanship. The Buddha's relics from Sri Lanka are housed in a gilded pagoda in the centre of the square, and the surrounding ground are lined with reproductions of the 12 Phra That, which represent the 12 zodiac signs.

Before departing this historical town, we made a final stop at Rongna Baan Rai, which is situated in Sawankhalok district. It belongs to veteran writer Sanya Panichayawei, who left the busy pace of city life and transformed a 60 rai rice field into a creative art community in 2011.

"I moved to Sukhothai and got a chance to conduct research on Sawankhalok's wisdom and cultural heritage. I discovered that this town has had many wonderful things such as the distinctive fish-inspired motif on Sangkhalok stoneware. I decided to come up with a variety of DIY educational programmes so that tourists and students could learn about this city through art," Sanya said.

"I'm currently extending my network of artists from Sukhothai to Uttaradit, Kamphaeng Phet, Phitsanulok, Phichit and Tak in an effort to make this area a significant hub for art and literature in the lower North. Art is not only about painting, but it is the practice of living. People can utilise art as a medium to express diverse viewpoints in Sawankhalok."

A group of in-house artists will provide more than 30 specially tailored workshops every day, and visitors may choose their favourites to learn how to make mulberry paper, masks, lanterns, notebooks or painted pottery. The prices range from 50 to 200 baht including materials.

To promote green tourism in the neighbourhood, the community turns some space into a playground for the "Art In Farm" event, which showcases a wide range of striking artwork, handicrafts and organic vegetables from local farms on the last weekend of every month.

On the other side, the Infinity Coffee Roasters and Cafe serve coffee and chocolate beverages made with Arabica beans from Mae Hong Son and cocoa beans from nearby farms.

Travel info

Ban Mae Thulao Homestay is at 265/2, Thung Saliam district, Sukhothai. For further details, call 091-839-1904 or visit facebook.com/tungsaliamhomestay.

Rongna Baan Rai is at 99/1, Sawankhalok district, Sukhothai. It's open daily from 9am to 3pm. For more details, call 091-383-9556 or visit facebook.com/rongnabaanrai.