What to see in Lopburi? A historic town… with monkeys

The journey up to the north of Thailand often passes through the two large historical parks that are Ayutthaya — the ancient capital (see here the essentials to visit in Ayutthaya) — and, further away, Sukhothai (here is my article), considered the first capital of the future kingdom of Siam.

But these two cities with prestigious pasts aren't the only ones to have played a central role in the country's history. Lopburi, known to many as Monkey City, was also an important city at various times. And while today the macaques are mostly concentrated around Phra Prang Sam Yod—an ancient Khmer temple that has become a local landmark—there's more to the city than just this unusual image.

With its rich historical past, the city boasts many ancient remains, and Lopburi is well worth a visit. The city remains an interesting stopover, about a three-hour drive from Bangkok.

So, are you up for it?

Visit Lopburi: itinerary idea

Depending on how much time you have and your preferred mode of travel, here are two ways to explore Lopburi and its main historical sites.

• By bike : to see as much as possible, this is ideal. A loop of just over 7 km allows you to tour the main sites in one day (see the route here).
• Walking The area of ​​interest is quite compact. The main temples and palaces are concentrated in a small area, easily accessible on foot. Allow a loop of just over 2 km through the historic sites, which looks like this on a map:

Walking remains an excellent way to immerse yourself in local life. You'll wander through quiet streets, pass old wooden houses, and take the time to observe everyday life, as well as the sights to visit.

Temples… and monkeys

Lopburi's trademark is, of course, its monkeys. An entire colony lives freely around the Phra Prang Sam Yod, an ancient Khmer temple that has become their stronghold. This is the most famous spot, where you have the best chance of seeing them up close (and sometimes a little too close...).

A monkey festival is even held every year on the last weekend of November, in the form of a large banquet. As a side note, I was supposed to attend, but I mischecked the dates. I went on a Saturday... even though the banquet takes place on Sunday! And no luck, I left in the morning.

They are supposed to be afraid of crocodiles, hence the use of stuffed animals in their image...

A little history to better understand

Lopburi was once the capital of the independent Lavo Kingdom, founded as early as the 5th century. Contemporary with Sukhothai and then Ayutthaya (which it would later be incorporated into), it developed under strong Khmer influence – which explains the Angkorian-style architecture of the main temple.

The city enjoyed a prosperous period in the 17th century, when King Narai made it the secondary capital of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. He had a palace built there, Phra Narai Ratchaniwet, now transformed into a museum and mentioned below. It was here that he received the famous French delegation sent by Louis XIV.

Things to see / what to visit in Lopburi

So where to start?

Even though the city is small, there is plenty to do!

1- Phra Prang Sam Yod

To get you into the swing of things, you can start by visiting Phra Prang Sam Yod. This temple with its undeniably Khmer architecture was originally a sanctuary of Mahayana Buddhism, another branch of Buddhism. In the meantime serving as a temple dedicated to Shiva, a Hindu god, a more "classic" rectangular building was added next door during the reign of King Narai.

It is in this ancient viharn, which no longer has a roof, that there is a statue of Buddha seated in a meditation position, which remains impassive in the face of the monkeys who use it as a perch.

The main building is composed of a set of 3 prangs (these towers characteristic of Northern India then adopted by the Burmese, Khmer and Thais), connected by a corridor. To prevent monkeys from disturbing this sacred space, access to the interior is protected by gates.

All around the temple grounds, be careful with your belongings, because the monkeys are very enterprising and do not hesitate to come and grab everything they can, they also do not hesitate to come at you (especially the girls, I noticed… Jitima will pay the price) and have a tendency to pull hair or even bite (which is clearly more annoying, a tourist had just paid the price when we arrived on site).

2- San Phra Kan

Located right next to Prang Sam Yod, on the other side of the railway, is the Phra Kan Shrine, which is primarily an active place of prayer, with the modern building set in front of an ancient laterite structure, dating back to the Khmer Empire. The place also serves as a play area for monkeys (there were ropes and a passageway built between the trees for them to play).

3- Wat Mahathat

Another Wat Mahathat, you might say? This name is quite common in Thailand (which, as a reminder, simply means temple to the “remarkable relic”), but the full name here is Wat Phra Sri Ratana Mahathat.

It is one of the oldest temples in the city (whose origins date back to the 12th century) and the largest as well. In my opinion, it is the most interesting to visit, because it has several types of architecture in one place.

There you can see a main viharn with large walls still standing, a prang (Khmer-style chedi), richly decorated with frescoes, an annex building still intact with its roof and the entire enclosure wall with the niches which contained statues of Buddhas still visible.

Wat Mahathat in Lopburi certainly did not leave me indifferent. It is located right in front of Lopburi train station, and despite its proximity to Phra Prang Sam Yod, note that there are no monkeys in this temple so you will have peace.

4- King Narai Palace and National Museum (Phra Narai Ratchaniwet)

King Narai Palace, or Phra Narai Ratchaniwet in Thai, was built in 1666 when Lopburi became the new capital of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. Renovated by King Mongkut (Rama IV) 200 years later, the complex houses several architectural styles from both eras.

Reception rooms, courtroom, stables, there is a whole complex of buildings, most of the old ones of which are in ruins.

One of the main ones is undoubtedly the throne room, surprisingly decorated in a mixture of Thai and French styles. It was here that the Chevalier Alexandre de Chaumont was received in 1685, the ambassador sent by King Louis XIV.

Exterior of the throne room.

Several newer buildings house the Somdet Phra Narai National Museum, which displays prehistoric and cultural artifacts from the central plains of the Chao Phraya Valley and around Lopburi, an exhibition on the era of King Narai, and more.

You could easily spend a good hour there to go around it.

Note that in November, there is a festival dedicated to King Narai taking place in the grounds of Phra Narai Ratchaniwet. You will have food stalls, entertainment and decorations in the gardens.

5- Ban Wichayen

It is the former residence of the man who was an advisor to King Narai and served as an intermediary for the French embassy, ​​as evidenced by Rue de France, perpendicular to Rue Wichayen.

Constance Phaulkon was a Greek by birth who quickly mastered Thai while he was in the kingdom of Siam to trade in connection with the English East India Company. Gifted in languages, he was a true polyglot, because, in addition to Thai, he also mastered English, French, Malay, in addition to Greek, his native language.

Former residence of King Narai's advisor.

He was the one who initiated the rapprochement between France and the Kingdom of Siam, leading to the famous meeting between the ambassadors of Louis XIV and King Narai. A plaque indicating the name of the street just in front of the Wichayen house attests to this historical episode since it is called "rue de France"!

Unfortunately, his high status (he was granted the prestigious title of Chao Phraya Wichayen) and his closeness to the king backfired. When King Narai fell seriously ill, a rumor spread that he wanted to install a puppet ruler to become the new king of Siam himself.

Pra Phetracha, Narai's adoptive brother, took advantage of this to organize a coup d'état after which Phaulkon was executed. For the record, his wife, Maria Guyomar de Pinha (known to the French as Madame Constance or simply Marie Guimar), having Japanese and especially Portuguese origins, will be locked up in the kitchens of the royal palace.

A period during which she would concoct what would become classic Thai desserts, inspired by Portugal.

Despite an opening announced as daily, I rarely had the opportunity to visit the site. In addition to the house that served as a residence, there was a building for receptions and welcoming ambassadors. You can see the old cellars, kitchen, and even a small private chapel.

6- Other sites to discover

If I have just listed the main sites to visit, curiosity (and time) may push you to see other temples of lesser importance plus those still in use and dating from other periods.

These include the active temple of Wat Sao Thong Thong, located on Rue de France, and the Chinese shrine near Bon Mueang Market, both close to the river.

Chinese shrine.

Somewhere in the old town.

Otherwise, there are several ruins of ancient temples of varying sizes, such as Prang Khaek and several scattered around the train station between Phra Prang Sam Yod. Finally, near the museum and palace of King Narai, you have a small market in the street and the riverside which is at least photogenic.

At the bend in a street.

Near the river.

How to get to Lopburi

Lopburi is about 150 km from the capital. Bus, van and even train, the city is pretty well served and you don't really have an excuse not to go there 😉

Lopburi by road

From Bangkok:

• There is no direct bus to Lopburi from Bangkok, there is a route through the province with a stop but it is 50km from the city itself… The best option is the mini van. Accessible either from Victory Monument or from Mo Chit bus station. The journey takes about 2h30 and should cost around 120 baht.

From other destinations:

• From Ayutthaya: There are regular local buses with departures every 20 minutes, allow 2 hours for only 35 baht.
• From Kanchanaburi: You must first reach Suphanburi by local bus and then another local bus. The journey takes about 5 hours for a cost of 100 baht.
• From Sukhothai: First take a local bus to Phitsanulok and then another local bus to Nakhon Sawan.

Lopburi by rail

The train is a good option because in addition to being economical, the station is located right next to the main temple of Prang Sam Yod.

• From Bangkok: go to Hua Lamphong station. Allow almost 3 hours for a fare varying between 50 baht and more than 300 baht depending on the class.
• From Ayutthaya: The journey takes only one hour.

At the station.

Where to sleep in Lopburi

Since we were driving, we could afford to go far from the old town to stay, so we slept at KP Place, located a little away from the places to visit, but quiet and we were ready to join the main road the next day.

KP Place Hotel in Lopburi.

KP Place room.

Among the possible options closer to the old town:

• NooM Guesthouse : Starting from just 300 Baht (less than €10), this is one of the best choices in terms of location/price ratio.
• The Little Lopburi Village : From only €13, sleep in a wooden house, located on the river bank and less than 500m from the historic center. At this rate, it is a room with shared bathroom and without air conditioning. To have these 2 options, you will need to count at least €28.
• Windsor Resort : Another guesthouse a little further away but quite close, for a reasonable price (from €16).

For more comfortable hotels, you will have to move away from the historic center and head towards the new city. In addition to the KP Place, you will find hotels like these:

• Privacy Residence Lopburi : Starting at €13, its standing is similar to the KP, although the latter has a better rating and is a priori more recent (hence our choice of the KP and not this one)
• Ruanmai Resort and Spa : If you like hotels with charm, then you should probably go to the Ruanmai, for a price starting at €20!

Did you like the article? share on Pinterest!