All the best information on historical sites | Lopburi

Lopburi History
Lopburi is one of Thailand’s oldest cities and has a long history that dates back to the Dvaravati period over 1000 years ago. It was then known as Lavapura and was under the Angkor regime, which is evidenced in many of the remaining architecture. It was used as a hub for the Khmer empire. It became a very important center in the Chao Phraya Basin.

Lopburi later became known as the second capital of Thailand after Ayutthaya. King Narai used Lopburi as his stronghold and “summer capital” and sometimes spent eight months a year there. Lopburi was abandoned after King Narai died in 1688 at his palace. King Mongkut (King Rama IV) restored parts of the ancient city in 1856 and resided here for parts of his reign.

Lopburi Visitor Information
You can reach Lopburi a number of ways. If going by bus, it takes about two hours from Ayuthaya, with buses leaving every 20 minutes. It takes roughly 3.5 hours from Bangkok and also leaves every 20 minutes. The majority of travelers coming to Lopburi arrive via train, either coming north from Ayuthaya or south from Phitsanulok. You can walk to historic sites from the train station, and you will also have plenty of lodging options. You can also utilize the baggage storage at the train station if you are making Lopburi a day trip. There are many departures throughout the day, with rapid and express trains taking about three hours to Bangkok and regular trains taking about 4.5 hours.

There are many sites to choose from when visiting Lopburi:

• Ban Vichayen are the remains of the ambassador’s residence which was built during the reign of King Narai the Great.
• Phra Kahn Shrine is the site of a small shrine and has lots of the famed monkeys of Lopburi. Be aware of the monkeys everywhere in Lopburi as they are not afraid of people and will pester you for food. There have also been reports of purse and bag snatching by the monkeys, so be on guard.
• King Narai’s Palace was built in 17th century, was restored in 1856 by King Mongkut, and was eventually converted to a museum in 1924. The remains of various buildings are on display here while the central palace holds various prehistoric exhibits, and King Mongkut’s bedroom in its entirety.
• Wat Phra Sri Rattanamahathat is one of the most important temples of Lopburi. You do not have to be on guard for monkeys as there are none here. Foreigners pay a 50 bhat entrance fee.

Lopburi Conservation Efforts

The elephant conservation programme in Lopburi is the most successful in Thailand, while the  Wild Animal Rescue Foundation of Thailand run a veterinary hospital to care for monkeys in the area.  A local conservation club, with academic support from Silpakorn University and the tourism authority, have established a museum at Wat Pong Manao.