Hello Viewers!

Last year was a busy year for getting out and exploring Thailand with my ongoing project " The Great Train Journeys of Thailand ".So far the most " craziest place " on my travels was visiting " Lopburi ". Could it be possible that a city in Thailand is " ruled my monkeys " ...???

Taking the train from Hua Lampong is (as usual) a wonderful experience and the scenery is fantastic.Before i left Bangkok the train guard on the platform asked me where i was going and when i said " Lopburi " he just smiled and said " GOOD LUCK " ......

What an extraordinary place Lopburi is! as the train stops in the station,you can see literally thousands of Monkeys everywhere and running about causing "absolute havoc". Wandering about it felt like i was on the film set of " Planet Of The Apes " ( just as scary.....) The cars on the main road stopped to let the monkeys stroll through there town on there " battle ground ".I even spotted a security guard outside a 7 eleven trying to stop the monkeys breaking in... If you ever thought that " Monkeys are cute and cuddly " then think again! If you visit Lopburi then its a great experience but be careful as the chances are that "you will be attacked " and a room in Lopburi will cost you from 250 baht a night but you wont be " sleeping alone " ..............lol

Marcus

Yes your right it is ruled by Monkey's the only reason for going.

They have a food festival every year for them run by a local Hotel owner as without them his hotel's would be empty.

For an hour or two it can be fun but after that it'll drive you mad go once drive in stay as long as you can put up with it and get out sharpish.

Saying that you must go at least once.

The Lopburi thieves are doing OK. Real masters you will find in Roi Et province at Ku Ka pronah temple (a few kilometer south of Suvannabum town). Nice Khmer temple with a resident monkey population. These friendly creatures are excellent beggars and also know how to open a backpack, take out a water battle, open that, and empty it without losses.

The Lopburi gang is badly obese (some of them) and a bit arrogant due to their movie fame.

The Monkey at the Wat on the South Hill in Hua Hinn is a Grumpy Old Sod. Hes chased all the others away. And Me. .

The Monkey at the Wat on the South Hill in Hua Hinn is a Grumpy Old Sod. Hes chased all the others away. And Me. .

Yes The Monkey on the hill in Hua Hin has also attacked me! That Monkey is " The Master of All Evil " ....

If you're going to go to Lopburi, don't forget to go to King Narai's palace and the residence of Phaulkon's residence. Impressive places, especially for the history (Phaulkon was a Greek adventure who ended up Narai's court but who met a messy end after the death of his patron). The first time I went there with a Thai driver, he only showed me the Khmer prasat with the monkeys ... a little disappointing since I've been to Angkor numerous times as well as Phimai, etc., and have seen my fair share of monkeys in Bali and Cambodia. The next time I drove myself and did a little more up-front research. Was glad I did. I think Thais don't expect these places to be of interest to foreigners because it's 'their history' which we may be ignorant of. But I will always tell people not to stop just with the monkeys but go on to do these other places also.

The monkeys are very experienced. I remember well stopping at Lopburi in the late 1960's and having my aviator's sunglasses stolen by a monkey. The wife had to fight to keep her lunch. Learned not to picnic in town.

After reading "Le Ministre des Moussons" (The Monsoon Minister) by Claire Keefe-Fox, about the story of Constantin Hierakis, a poor Greek boy who became King Narai Prime Minister, I thought a visit Lopburi was of utmost importance. And visiting the places where the action took place in History was really interesting. Lopburi is a small town and a very pleasant one, and except for the monkeys warriors place, I will recommend it highly.

Glad you all liked Lopburi it is my local town, only 40 km me, it is certainly one of the nicer towns in LOS.

On 15 -23 Feb , is Lopburi 's annual festival, held in the old palace ground, there is a sound and light show, a lot depicting king Nari the great, at the time Siam's capital was Ayutthaya, but the king use to spending time in Lopburi, hence ,all the old ruins, they even piped water a good 15 km from Arn Sub-Lech to the palace, not bad for the 17th century,

The festival depicts part of the Kings life, and a visit of a French ambassador to the kingdom ,the ambassador is played by a resident farang from Lopburi , all done up in 17c costumes,

The king was a keen astrometry apparently , it shows him going up CM to look at an eclipse, where again ,apparently he contracted malaria and crocked it.

We have not been for a few years, might make an effort this year I think it is well down ,might go if only to see the elephants and the local gar-toay’s, they always come out in force in all of their finery.

ps, they will be no monkeys.