Lopburi – Mokey Town
(TH: ศาลพระกาฬ-พระปรางค์สามยอด จ.ลพบุรี)
If you are very naughty or never stayed calm, the Thai parent would say
“Are you a monkey form Lopburi?” Welcome to Lopburi…
Lopburi is about 2.5 hrs away from Bangkok (GPS: N 14.800171, E 100.61495) , it’s also popular when the sunflowers are blooming (November – December), the entire city is bossom yellow…
But this time, we are going to the Monkey Town!!! It’s called “San Pra Kan and Phra Prang Sam Yod”
Because there are 2 groups of monkies. They mostly stay on different sides of the road, and they don’t seem to like each other.
Let’s start with the first group of monkey in San Phra Kan area (free admission)…
“San Phra Kan” is not a temple but it’s a big spirit house for Lopburi, and here is very famous for making a wish!!! So in the San Phra Kan area you will find Thai Traditional dancing everyday. This dancing is not just a show, but the granting of a wish, by San Phra Kan, that was made so that the dancing to be shared for all to enjoy. It is the great number of tamed monkeys in this area which feed themselves on food offered to the deity by worshippers.
Just walk in San Phra Karn where is friendship easy to begin! The monkeys like to make new friends, whether 2 legs or 4!
From Sarn Phra Kan, we are crosing the street to Phra Prang Sam Yot (Admission 50 baht or ~$2) once a Hindu Shrine, is the landmark of Lop Buri, and only 200 metres from San Phra Kan.
It was constructed in Lop Buri style with laterite and sandstone decorated with stucco. The adjoining prangs signify the Hindu Trinity of Brahman, Vishnu and Siva. In the reign of King Narai, the Shrine was converted to a Buddhist temple as some Buddhist designs can still be seen on it.
At Phra Prang Sam Yod, you still can feed hundreds of monkey here. When you walk in side “Phra Prang Sam Yod”, there will be a monkey guard walk with you. You might buy monkey food with them, they also help to protect you from the aggressive monkey (Tip for them is optional).
The tourist enjoys feeding all the monkey while walk aroud Phra Prang Sam Yod.
But if you walk inside Phra Prang Sam Yod, you will see many bats but NO MONKEY inside!!! I think the monkey doesn’t like the smell of bats…
You can feed monkey from inside any way…
Monkies are every where – the The local tour guide told us that the monkey took over the building. The residence has to move out!
It’s hard to say how many monkies are in this town!?!?!?!
But it has been reported that there are over 1700 monkies in town. But so sad, 70% of all male monkies have hernias because they climb and jump on high building, another large percentage have injuries from accident or ambush.
So anytimes when you visit, please play nice with the monkey!
Oh by the way, Monkey Festival at Lopburi is the grand annual event that becomes the eye-catching for the Thai and foreigners all over the world, on 4th Sunday of November every year!
For the participants of the festival, there are foods provided into 3 rounds. The time slots are at 10 a.m., 12 a.m. and 2 p.m. respectively.
Monkey is also the local problem because they are too many. You will see many abandoned building around this area.
The business onwers had to leave and move away because the monkey are too naughty, they are pooping everywhere!
In term of tourism – this monkey city seems to be popular for locals or Thais more than for the foreigners. You might not see this tour offers by the tour company because this town is 2.5hrs away from Bangkok and it’s off the road from the other shopping things (which the tour company can’t earn anything else to make this trip)!
It’s not easy to go there by local bus. If you can’t drive to get there, you may have to hire a car or van. It costs vary between 2000-5000THB per trip from Bangkok.
But if you hire the car/van – the price should let you go wherever you want for at least 6-8hrs (they might ask you to fill up the gas tank at the end of the job !), you should make the deal to stop at Ayutthaya on the way back to Bangkok, because you will spend time at Monkey town only 1 hr (The max is 1.5 hrs, because it’s nothing else!)
Ayutthaya is great place to stop for lunch or dinner as well!
I would recommend you to leave Bangkok early in the morning like 6 or 7 (or not over 8am). Remember it’s 2.5hr there and it’s another 2.5hr back!
Try to get there before it’s getting dark is the best!
