16 January 2023 – RM Day 4
Budget were wonderful enough to deliver our hire car to our hotel at 8:30am. They arrived exactly on time and were very helpful. Sadly, there were no special rates on offer over peak tourist season, but the car was virtually brand new and in excellent condition.
It was no time before the four of us were off on our Thailand adventure. By 10am we reached Wat Doi Ti. An enormous Buddha statue right next to the main road.
By 11:15am we were at our first Cafe Amazon for this trip. Cafe Amazon is a popular Thai coffee chain that serves up delicious coffee and snacks.
Midday saw us arrive at Wat Phra That in Lampang. A beautiful old complex with a huge wall around it. This Wat also has little horse and buggies for hire to take you sightseeing.
Wat Doi Prachan Mae Tha was our next stop for the day. This temple is amazing, perched high on a mountain top. We had a very steep climb in the car to access it. The views from here were stunning.
By 5:50pm we had still not arrived at our hotel, Midtown in Sukhothai. We stopped to enjoy the beautiful colours of the sun going down over the rice fields.
We arrived at the hotel about 7pm, a long day’s drive. We headed straight out for dinner at the local restaurant called “Poo”. The food was so tasty and enjoyable, a great way to finish up our first day on the road.
We had a great first day in Thailand. We saw some amazing sights, ate some delicious food and made some great memories. We can’t wait to see what the rest of our trip has in store for us!
17 January 2023 – RM Day 5
Steve and I woke up early on this beautiful day in Sukhothai. We were excited to explore the historical area of the city, and we had heard that today was a special day: King Ramkhamhaeng Memorial Day.
We started our day with a delicious breakfast at our hotel with Robbie and Mikey. After that, we all headed to the Sukhothai Historical Park. When we arrived, we were greeted by a large crowd of people. We learned that the park was hosting a festival in honor of King Ramkhamhaeng, the founder of the Sukhothai Kingdom.
We spent the day wandering the park, admiring the ancient temples and ruins. We also had the opportunity to meet some of the local teachers and students. The students were very friendly and eager to talk to us about their culture.
In the afternoon, we visited Wat Is Chum, one of the most famous temples in Sukhothai. The temple is known for its beautiful murals, which depict scenes from Buddhist mythology. After visiting the temple, we took a break for ice cream.
We returned to the main park in the evening, just in time for the start of the festival. There were performances by traditional Thai dancers and musicians. We also saw a life-size chess game being played by two teams. The game was very colorful and musical, and the crowd cheered for both teams.
The highlight of the evening was the performance by the elephants. A group of elephants performed a reenactment of King Ramkhamhaeng’s battles. The elephants were beautifully decorated, and they performed their roles with great skill.
The festival ended with a spectacular fireworks display. We watched the fireworks from the main park, and we were all very impressed. It was a truly magical evening.
After the fireworks, Robbie and Mikey decided to take a taxi back to the hotel. Steve and I stayed on for a while longer, enjoying the atmosphere of the festival. We were both very tired, but we had had a wonderful day. We had learned a lot about Thai culture, and we had made some new friends.
18 January 2023 – RM Day 6
After another lovely breakfast at the hotel, it was time to start heading east. It was not long until we came across a bunch of farmers working in a rice paddy field. We stopped off to take it in. I am a bit of an adventurer, so I decided to get out of the car and help them out. I was lucky not to come back to the car covered in mud!
By 11am we had reached the Wihan Phra Orahan Chikong, an amazing temple complex with beautiful views from its viewing platform high above the surrounding fields. We spent some time exploring the complex and taking in the sights. Robbie purchased some gifts from the shop.
The next stop for the day was the truly incredible Wat Phrathat Pha Son Kao. It is a huge 5-headed temple complex built high on a mountain. The four of us wandered through the complex and ultimately met back up again in what could be argued the most scenic 7-11 in Thailand!
By 4pm we took a brief stop to see what progress had occurred in the last few years on the Wat Non Sattha Chum. Sadly, the temple has not progressed very far. I guess they have run out of money.
5pm saw us arrive at our hotel for the night, the Feungfah Litz. After checking in we headed off to a local cafe for dinner. We had a delicious meal of Thai food and then returned to the hotel for a well-deserved rest.
It had been a long but very enjoyable day.
19 January 2023 – RM Day 7
Steve and I woke up early today and had a quick breakfast at the hotel. The breakfast was not very satisfying, as it only consisted of toast and coffee. We all left the hotel at 9:00am and drove south to visit the Wat Thammayan temple.
The Wat Thammayan temple is a large and impressive complex. It is always amazing to see how the temple continues to expand. The meeting halls are huge, and the new construction happening up the side of the mountain is truly spectacular.
We spent several hours exploring the temple. We were particularly interested in the new construction, which is a large complex of buildings that are being built to house monks and nuns. The buildings are being built in a traditional Thai style, and they are very beautiful.
We also visited the temple’s museum, which has a collection of artifacts that date back to the 15th century. The museum is very informative, and it provides a great overview of the history of the temple.
We left the temple at 2:00pm and drove back to our hotel. We had a late lunch at the hotel, and then we relaxed for the rest of the day. We all enjoyed a tasty dinner at a local restaurant.
