Lopburi Travel Guide: Monkeys, Khmer Ruins, and Sunflowers

Lopburi at a glance

Lopburi is a small city 155km north of Bangkok that has been continuously inhabited for at least 2,000 years — it served as a major Khmer provincial centre, then as an Ayutthaya-era capital under King Narai, and is now a modest provincial town with an outsized historical footprint. Its most unusual feature is an enormous population of long-tailed macaques that have colonised the old city’s ruins and streets.

The monkeys

The macaques are the primary reason most visitors come. The colony at Prang Sam Yot (the main Khmer ruin) and the surrounding blocks numbers several hundred animals. They are entirely free-roaming and have claimed the ruins, the adjacent shrine, and the market stalls around the old city centre as their territory.

The annual Monkey Buffet Festival (last Sunday of November) involves setting out elaborate spreads of fruit and vegetables for the monkeys — a local tourism event that draws large Thai and international crowds.

Practical notes: wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from monkey hands, keep bags zipped and close to your body, do not bring food, and watch your phone — monkeys have learned that phones can be traded back to humans for food.

Khmer ruins

Prang Sam Yot — Three connected prangs (Khmer towers) from the 12th–13th century, now the monkey colony’s headquarters. The towers are built from laterite and decorated with carved lintels depicting Hindu iconography (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva). The monkey occupation means close inspection of the lower sections is difficult, but the towers themselves are impressive.

Prang Khaek — A small group of three brick towers at the city’s main roundabout, older than Prang Sam Yot and less visited. The earliest surviving structure in Lopburi.

Wat Phra Si Ratana Mahathat — A large temple complex begun in the Khmer period and expanded through the Ayutthaya era. Large standing Buddha images in the ruins. Entry: ฿50.

King Narai’s Palace

King Narai moved his court from Ayutthaya to Lopburi in the 1660s, partly for strategic reasons (easier to defend) and partly to escape court politics. The palace complex (Phra Narai Ratchaniwet) is now an open archaeological site with the foundations of audience halls, a French-designed water system, and the Narai National Museum in the surviving buildings. Entry: ฿150.

Sunflower season

From October to January, the agricultural land between Lopburi and Sing Buri turns yellow with sunflower fields. Farmers grow them as a rotation crop between rice seasons and tolerate tourist visits to the fields. The best fields are visible from Highway 1 and the small roads near Muang Lopburi. No entry fee at most fields — check with locals on arrival as specific fields change each year.

Practical information

Getting there — Train from Bangkok Hua Lamphong (2–2.5 hours, ฿28–160). Bus from Bangkok Mo Chit terminal (2–3 hours, ฿100–120). Easily done as a day trip from Bangkok, or combined with Ayutthaya (60km south) for an overnight trip.

Best time — November to February. November is ideal if sunflowers and the Monkey Buffet Festival are priorities.