Lopburi
Ancient City With Khmer Era Temples And King Narai'S 17th Century Palace; Known For Its Hundreds Of Resident Macaques · Lopburi, Lopburi
Lopburi is one of the oldest cities in Thailand, a Dvaravati-era town that became a major provincial centre of the Khmer empire, called Lavo, and later, in the seventeenth century, the second capital of King Narai of Ayutthaya, who received French and other European envoys here. Its old town, a compact grid beside the railway, packs in Khmer-style temples of laterite and brick, above all Phra Prang Sam Yot, three linked prangs that are the city's emblem, and the big prang of Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat opposite the station. King Narai's palace, Phra Narai Ratchaniwet, with its gates, audience halls and the Somdet Phra Narai National Museum, and the ruined residence of the Greek adventurer Constantine Phaulkon recall the age of Narai. Lopburi is famous above all for its macaques, hundreds of which have lived around the prangs and the San Phra Kan shrine, climbing on buildings and grabbing bags; the city has tried relocations and sterilisation, so numbers may have changed. Trains from Bangkok take about 2.5 to 3 hours, and Lopburi pairs well with Ayutthaya.
Phra Prang Sam Yot, Tha Hin, Lopburi, Lopburi, 15000, Thailand
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: Phra Prang Sam Yot, Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat and Baan Wichayen have opened daily from about 7 or 8 am to about 5 or 6 pm; San Phra Kan is open from early morning into the evening; the Somdet Phra Narai National Museum and palace grounds open roughly 8.30 or 9 am to 4 pm, usually closed Monday and Tuesday, with last entry before closing. The Monkey Buffet Festival is usually on the last Sunday of November. The traps that ruin a day are arriving at the museum on a closing day, losing a bag, phone or glasses to the monkeys, going to the wrong Bangkok station for the train and walking the ruins in the midday heat. Confirm current times before relying on them.