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Outside the City Wall // Mueang district - Sukhothai - Thailand
The Sites in the North
Wat Phra Phai Luang
This temple lies about 500 metres north of San Luang Gate (northern gate). This sanctuary, formerly a Khmer-Hindu shrine but later converted into a Buddhist monastery, is surrounded by a moat. It is second in importance to Wat Mahathat. Inside, there are three prangs like Wat Si Sawai, but the southern and the central ones have crumbled leaving only the northern one decorated with stucco figures. In front of these prangs are a viharn and a crumbled chedi; the later has a pedestal decorated with stucco seated Buddha images. A mondop contains Buddha images in four postures; sitting, reclining, standing, and walking. They are now all in ruins. A Sivalinga (Phallic emblem of Hindu gods) was unearthed in the compound of this sanctuary.
Ruins of the Old Celadon Factory (Thuriang Kiln)
Thuriang Kiln is a site where Sukhothai celadons were made. Kilns exist in an area measuring 100 by 700 metres. Each kiln is divided into three sections; the fire area, the pottery baking oven, and the flue. The pottery found here is usually decorated by three different painted designs on their bottom: a disc, a fish, and a flower. Forty-nine kilns and small edifices are visible. To the north, a pond has been dug into the stone.
Wat Si Chum
This lies about 1,500 metres north of Wat Mahathat and was originally surrounded by a moat. A square mondop which is the main sanctuary, contains a monumental stucco-over-brick Buddha image in the attitude of Subduing Mara called Phra Achana. This Buddha measures 11.30 metres from knee to knee.
The mondop is 32 metres square and 15 metres high, and the walls are 3 metres thick. There is a passageway in the left inner wall itself which leads to the above crossbeam. On the ceiling of the passageway are more than fifty engraved slate slabs illustrating Jataka scenes.
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