Ceramic Kilns

Along the Yom River north of the walled city are the archaeological remains of several kilns. In fact, there now appears to be around 1,000 kilns on both banks of the river within 10 kilometers of the old city. This area is where Sawankhalok ceramics were produced, which became an important economic contributor to the Sukhothai kingdom. These ceramics not only served the domestic needs of the people, from food storage to water pipes, they were also produced for export, and have been found as far away the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan.

There are two main sites where you can see the excavated kilns, both of which are along the river north of the city. The closest is the Ban Pa Yang site. The excavations are covered by a building which provides minimal interpretation. Across the road from the archeology museum are several stalls selling the modern-day production of the area.

A bit further up the road is the Ban Ko Noi site. Here again, a building covers the excavated kilns, although outside you can see numerous mounds that are obviously more kilns, and the debris of firing ceramics litters the ground everywhere.

Admission to the kiln sites is included in the all-inclusive admission fee. Otherwise, admission is 100 Baht.