Sawanworanayok Museum

It displays artifacts dating to the height of the Sukhothai Kingdom (from the 13th to 15th centuries) including lots of ceramics and religious art. However, it’s rather tricky to find and the exhibits are less impressive than those in the Ramkhamhaeng National Museum and Sangkhalok Museum in Sukhothai, which are also easy to find.

When you enter, the first artifacts you’ll see are the ceramics that made Sukhothai such a famous place when its kingdom was flourishing. These pieces are like those found at Sangkhalok Museum as well as in displays connected to excavated kilns in the region.

The second floor houses Buddhist statues and other forms of religious art. Each kingdom of ancient Siam had its own style when it came to rendering the Buddha and his many poses, and a walk through these galleries helps visitors connect the Buddha images in temples today with their ancient influences.

In between are a few other artifacts and exhibits that don’t necessarily fit in the ‘ceramics’ or ‘Buddha image’ categories. Among these is a mismatched collection of artifacts pulled from shipwrecks in the Gulf of Thailand, which are unlike anything else in the other Sukhothai museums.

Sawanworanayok Museum is about 40km north of Sukhothai city, so it requires at least half a day to get there, find the place, have a good look round and return.