A 6 hour van ride (and many stops for the "Happy Room" brought us to Sukhothai which is about 427 km north of Bangkok and was founded in 1238. Sukhothai was the capital of the Thai Empire for approximately 140 years. Today 193 temples are excavated and partly reconstructed. We rented bicycles and toured through ruins in the Sukothai Historical Park. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset before heading back for a fabulous New Year's Eve dinner, Thai style with lots of chillis.