Sawanvoranayok National Museum Museum

Sawanworanayok Museum stands in the town of Sawankhalok, out of the center on the west side of the Yom River. It displays artifacts from the height of the Sukhothai Kingdom (13th to 15th centuries), including a wealth of ceramics and religious art. The exhibits are less extensive than those at the Ramkhamhaeng National Museum and the Sangkhalok Museum in Sukhothai, and the museum can be tricky to find.

On entering, the first artifacts you meet are the ceramics that made Sukhothai famous when its kingdom flourished; these pieces echo those at the Sangkhalok Museum and the region’s excavated kilns. The second floor houses Buddhist statues and other religious art - each kingdom of ancient Siam had its own style of rendering the Buddha, and a walk through the galleries connects the Buddha images in today’s temples with their ancient influences. In between sits a mismatched collection of artifacts recovered from shipwrecks in the Gulf of Thailand, unlike anything in the other Sukhothai museums.

The museum lies about 40km north of Sukhothai city, so allow at least half a day to get there, look around and return.

Usually reached by provincial roads from the nearest district town; local buses and songthaews may serve the area. Visitors should check provincial tourism office schedules for exact locations and opening times.