Within Sukhothai's Historical Park, still protected by ancient walls and free of cars at its centre, I bring my bicycle to a stop at the main temple, known as Wat Mahathat. The roof is gone (it would've been made of wood and terracotta tiles) but the imposing stone platforms still rise up from the dirt and, on top of them, are the large statues of the Buddha in different poses. There aren't many other visitors here today (partly because of the pandemic, but also because Sukhothai is always slightly off the tourist trail), so there's a serenity as I wander through the complex, looking at the statues that seem to look right back at - and maybe even through - me.

Across the Buddhist world, through the eras, different cultures represented their image of the Buddha differently. When Sukhothai was the capital, between the late 13th and mid 15th centuries, the people here gave the Buddha a smile and arched eyebrows, supposedly to represent the happiness of the population. And why wouldn't they be happy? There was (relative) peace, abundant rice paddies for crops, and a river full of fish.

When you visit, you'll see the city's prosperity was represented in the image of a fish, often painted on the bottom of the ceramic bowls made here in enormous ancient kilns that have been uncovered beneath the ground. The bowls are still made today and exported around the world, just as they were once traded with Japan and China. Just a short cycle from the main temples, I pop into a ceramics workshop where you can learn to paint the Sukhothai designs onto your own ceramics under the tutelage of a family that has done this for generations.

The tranquility of Sukhothai extends beyond the historic religious remains. It follows me through the quiet streets that I ride to the ceramics workshop, to the local home where I am introduced to the concept of votive tablets and learn to make my own amulets of Buddha images, and to the temples in the forests around the central historical park.

Even centuries ago, when Sukhothai was at its zenith, these forest temples were peaceful. They were where most of the monks would live and meditate, with the large temples in the city reserved for royal functions - although sometimes the king would make the journey to a hilltop forest temple, riding up on the back of an elephant, to look out over his empire. As I stand here and take in the panorama, I can see stupas and pagodas rising up from the green trees that cover the land.

There are about 200 temples in Sukhothai, with some huge complexes housing enormous statues. At Wat Si Chum, just outside the main city's fortifications, a 15-metre-high seated Buddha looms over me as I stand at its feet. It's enclosed within high brick walls with a secret passage on one side leading up to a hidden opening near the head. A local legend says the king once spoke through it to a nervous military commander, pretending to be Buddha and encouraging him to fight.

Right now, it's tourists who need the encouragement. To come to Thailand, but also to explore parts of the country they have not seen before. Sukhothai is just one hour by plane from Bangkok and a flight usually costs about $60 each way, making it an affordable side trip. The modern city of Sukhothai can actually be avoided, if you prefer, because most of the sites of interest are around the old city, about 10 kilometres to the west. There are plenty of hotels here and they're close enough to cycle to all the main sights. At sunrise, orange-robed monks stroll the streets collecting offerings of food from locals, and at sunset the orange glow of the sky is reflected in the water of the lakes, while the stupas of the temples are silhouetted against the day's end.

The next capital of Siam, Ayutthaya, is visited more often by tourists than Sukhothai because it's only an hour's drive from Bangkok. Both historic cities are World Heritage Sites but, even though they are of a similar era, they look very different, taking their artistic and architectural inspiration from different areas (Sukhothai style is closer to Bagan in Myanmar, while Ayutthaya style came more from Khmer in Cambodia). Even today, though, they feel like separate destinations.

Sukhothai is more rural, more tranquil; where modern life is intertwined with the religion and cultural traditions from hundreds of years ago. This is a city that is comfortable for tourists but still feels authentic, where foreign travellers eat noodles at a roadside restaurant that is buzzing with locals grabbing takeaway on their way home. It's an insight as much into modern Thailand as ancient Siam. Perhaps next time you're planning a trip to the country's current capital city, consider also visiting its first.