Sukhothai Province
|
Sukhothai สุโขทัย |
||
|---|---|---|
| Province | ||
|
||
 Map of Thailand highlighting Sukhothai Province |
||
| Country |
 Thailand
|
|
| Capital | Sukhothai Thani | |
| Government | ||
| • Governor | Piti Kaeosalapsi (since November 2014) | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 6,596.1 km2 (2,546.8 sq mi) | |
| Area rank | Ranked 31st | |
| Population (2014) | ||
| • Total | 602,460 | |
| • Rank | Ranked 41st | |
| • Density | 91/km2 (240/sq mi) | |
| • Density rank | Ranked 49th | |
| Time zone | Thailand Standard Time (UTC+7) | |
| ISO 3166 code | TH-64 | |
Sukhothai (Thai: ) is one of the lower northern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Phrae, Uttaradit, Phitsanulok, Kamphaeng Phet, Tak, and Lampang. Sukhothai can be translated as Dawn of Happiness.
The modern-day province of Sukhothai was named after the Sukhothai Kingdom that once existed in the area, which in turn borrowed its name from the Sanskrit terms sukha (सुख "happiness") + udaya (उदय "rise, emergence"), meaning "dawn of happiness".
Sukhothai is located in the valley of the Yom River in the lower north of Thailand. The provincial capital, Sukhothai Thani is 427 kilometres (265 mi) north of Bangkok and 300 kilometres (190 mi) south of Chiang Mai. The province covers some 6,596 square kilometres (2,547 sq mi).
The Khao Luang Mountain Range, with its four main peaks: Khao Phu Kha, Khao Phra Mae Ya, Khao Chedi, and Pha Narai, lies within the Ramkhamhaeng National Park in the south of the province. The Si Satchanalai National Park is located in the north-west, protecting the mountainous forest areas of the Phi Pan Nam Range at the northern end of the province.
Sukhothai, meaning the Dawn of Happiness, was a town founded in the 13th century on the fringe of the Khmer empire. The exact year is unknown, but according to the Fine Arts Office it was between 1238 and 1257. Founded by Phokhun Si Intharathit, it was the first truly independent Thai (Siamese) Kingdom after defeating the Khmers. Sukhothai enjoyed a golden age under their third king, King Ramkhamhaeng, who was credited with creating the Khmer-derived Thai alphabet which is essentially the same as that in use today. He also laid the foundation for politics, the monarchy and religion, as well as expanding its boundary of influence. Sukhothai was later ruled by many kings. The province is most famous for the historic city of Sukhothai, the capital of the Sukhothai kingdom. It is located about 12 km from the modern New Sukhothai city. Not far from Sukhothai are the Si Satchanalai historical park and the Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park. Both were cities within the former Sukhothai kingdom and of the same time period.
...
Wikipedia