Lopburi sometimes seems like the ‘forgotten’ Thai historical destination. It doesn’t seem to get much attention from the Thai travel industry. I often wonder if it’s because the city’s roots are in the days when the Mon were the main settlers of the Chaophraya basin, before the Tai migrated from southern China. Then again, it could just be that the destination is a bit ‘awkward’ for the traveler. It’s a very long day trip, for a rather small place.

It’s a bit of a shame that more people don’t visit, because Lopburi occupies a rather pivotal place in Thai history. It’s one of the oldest occupied cities in Thailand and it’s the one place where you can see the influence that the European powers had in seventeenth century Siam, although that influence lead to a great king’s downfall.

While it is possible to visit Lopburi on a day trip from Bangkok, I chose the more leisurely option of an overnight trip. There are a couple of hotels in the old town. They aren’t fancy but they’re acceptable for a single night. I traveled there by train, on a comfortable two hour journey from Bangkok.

The Central Tower of Wat Phra Sri Ratana Mahthat in Lopburi

The nice thing about Lopburi’s historic area is that it’s small enough to easily explore on foot. The logical place to start is the ruins of Wat Phra Sri Ratana Mahthat, which is right across the road from the railway station. The large temple complex is dominated by the ruins of a huge prayer hall, which fronts a Khmer style tower (prang).

The long row of warehouses leading to the Ambassador’s entrance to the Lopburi Palace

The next stop is the Lopburi Palace. The place was built by King Narai, who ruled Ayutthaya, in the seventeenth century. He made Lopburi his second capital and spent as much as eight months a year here. Narai’s reign was when the European colonial powers first made official contact with Siam, and the Lopburi Palace is where the first French Embassy was presented to the king. Much of Narai’s original palace is in ruins, but in the nineteenth century King Mongkut (Rama IV) once again revived Lopburi’s fortunes by building a new small palace within the ruins of the old palace. The buildings of King Mongkut now house the Lopburi branch of the national museum.

Bahn Vichien, the French Ambassador’s residence

Just up the street from the palace is the near-palatial residence built for the French embassy. The construction of Bahn Vichien was overseen by the Greek born adventurer Constantine Phaulcon, who was King Narai’s close adviser at the time. The compound includes a grand house for the Ambassador, a large residence hall for his retinue, and even a small Catholic chapel. After the French Embassy departed, Phaulcon used the house as his own.

The monkeys of Prang Sam Yod

Along the road leading back to the train tracks is Prang Kaek, one of the oldest Khmer shrines in Thailand, yet it’s little more than a pile of bricks in a traffic circle today. Bordering the rails is the "monkey temple" Prang Sam Yod. The three-towered temple is another early Khmer era shrine, but these days it’s better know as the home of huge troop of monkeys. The macaques are more of a nuisance than anything else, but they get feed so much by tourists and locals that they won’t leave. Between the smell and theft risk visits to Prang Sam Yod are usually short and unpleasant.

Lopburi Logistics

Antique train at Lopburi rail station

Getting to Lopburi from Bangkok is easiest by train. Trains leave Bangkok’s Hualumpong station more or less hourly in the morning. If you want to make a day trip, take the 7:00 or 8:30 am departure. The number 9 train departing at 8:30 makes fewer stops and reaches Lopburi in two hours. Note that the last train back to Bangkok departs at 6:00 pm.

If you want to stay the night, there aren’t too many options that are handy to the old city area. The Nett Hotel (no web site) seems to be the best of the lot. An air conditioned room will run you 440 Baht. The rooms are quite basic, but livable for one night.