Lopburi Sightseeing

Amphoe Muang

Banquet Hall



Banquet Hall built to entertain important foreign visitors, is surrounded on three sides by ponds. A brick platform fronting the hall may have been a stage or theatre where guests were entertained, perhaps by shadow plays or dances, after dinner.



Chanthon Phisan Pavilion



Chanthon Phisan Pavilion was built as a royal residence of King Narai in 1665. It was subsequently used as an audience hall after King Narai had moved his residence to Suttha Sawan Pavilion. The building was constructed in pure Thai style, thus indicating that no French architects were involved in its construction. The building was restored by King Rama IV in 1863 and is now used as a hall for displaying archaeological and art objects. Many Lop Buri style stone Buddha images are kept in the building.

Dusit Sawan Thanya Maha Prasat Hall


King Narai had this building constructed to be used as an audience hall for high-ranking foreign visitors and ambassadors. He probably received Chevalier de Chaumont, King Louis XIV's representative, in this hall. The building was constructed in a mixed Thai and Western architectural style.

Elephant and Horse Stables


Elephant and Horse Stables located close to the wall separating the outer section of the palace from the middle section.


Kraison Siharat Hall

Kraison Siharat Hall or Phra Thinang Yen is located on an island in a dried up lake, Thale Chupson, formerly supplied drinking water to Lop Buri residents. This hall was built and used as a residence of King Narai, Jesuits and Louis XIV's envoys to witness a lunar eclipse on 11 December, 1685

Lop Buri Zoo


This 25-acre enclave is near Sa Kaeo circle. The zoo includes favourite Asian and Australian birds and mammals. The most unusual spectacle is that of three tigers and four dogs living in unique harmony and the love story of a couple of urang-utans.

Narai Ratchaniwet Palace


This palace in the town centre was built by King Narai and took 12 years to be completed (1665-1677). Now the whole compound has been turned into the Lop Buri National Museum. and houses the following historical buildings.

Phiman Mongkut Pavilion


Phiman Mongkut Pavilion is a three-storied brick building used as a residence of King Rama IV when he visited Lop Buri during the renovation of the palace. Connected with the pavilion are the other three buildings namely Suttha Winitchai Pavilion , Chai Sattrakon Pavilion and Akson Sattrakhom. All of these buildings are now used as the offices of the Lop Buri National Museum.

Phra Chao Hao Building



Phra Chao Hao Building located in the south of the outer section of the palace was built, probably as a private audience hall, in Thai style. Only wall sections remain, but the decorative designs at the doors and windows are still visible.

Phra Khlang Supharat



Phra Khlang Supharat commonly known as the twelve treasure houses, stored the royal treasures as well as royal goods for selling to foreign merchants.

Phra Prang Sam Yot

This former Hindu shrine is some 200 metres from the railway station and is Lop Buri's best known landmark. The laterite and sandstone structure was constructed in the Lop Buri style and decorated with stucco. The three adjoining towers signify the Hindu Trinity of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer. During the reign of King Narai, the shrine was converted to a Buddhist temple.

Prang Khaek

This charming and petite Khmer ruin is in the market place on Vichayen Road. The structure was built in the 15th century as a Hindu shrine with three adjoining towers, but it is much smaller than Phra Prang Sam Yot. It is considered to be the oldest monument of Lop Buri.

San Phra Kan



This former Brahman shrine is adjacent to Phra Prang Sam Yot. It consists of an ancient Khmer ruin and a shrine constructed in 1951 for a worshipped four-armed deity figure with a Buddha image's head. The monkeys living in the compound sometimes cause mischief when approached.

Statue of King Narai the Great

This statue is situated at the entrance of the town. It was erected to honour King Narai the Great who made Lop Buri an important and prosperous town. He commanded many magnificent structures built in this town including the Phra Narai Ratchaniwet Palace, several fortifications and a Buddhist sanctuary. He was the first one to apply modern technology in the observatory and in laying terra-cotta pipes to supply water to the palace.

As for his foreign policy, King Narai was the first Thai monarch who established diplomatic relations with France and attributed friendly policy towards other foreigners, especially the Europeans.

Suttha Sawan Pavilion

This residence is where King Narai died on 11 July, 1688, while the palace was under the control of royal revolutionaries. Ruins of the pavilion, artificial hills and fountains remain. It has been recorded that the pavilion stood amidst a beautiful garden in which there were many fountains were displayed.

Vichayen House


Vichayen House was a residence for Chevalier de Chaumont, the first French ambassador to Thailand during the reign of Louis XVI. Later, the place was occupied by Chao Phraya Vichayen (a Greek adventurer Constantine Phaulkon) until he was killed by the revolutionaries in 1688. Many ruined buildings dot the compound, one served as a Roman Catholic chapel. Others were residences for the ambassador and mission members. Ruined brick water tanks and fountains are visible.

Wat Khao Wongkot

Located at the foot of Sanam Daeng Mountain, this temple is noted for a large bat cave where bats fly out around 6.00 p.m. in great numbers to seek food. The temple derives income from bats' droppings.

Wat Mani Chonlakhan

The monastery was originally called Wat Ko Kaeo because it was located on a small island. Interesting to see are, Chedi Luang Pho Saeng, the ubosot, the vihara and the large Buddha Image along the river.

Wat Phra Si Maha That



This temple is located behind the railway station near Phra Kan Shrine. The Lop Buri style prang or tower fronting the temple was built around 1157 when the town was ruled by the Khmer. The U-Thong style Buddha images on the prang were added at a later date. The temple was probably restored during the reign of King Narai the Great.

Wat San Paulo



This is situated on Ruam Decho Road, some 1.5 kms. east of the town. It was originally a church of the Jesuits founded during the reign of King Narai, and also the first observatory in Asia. Now only a brick wall of a high tower remains behind the church site. The name "San Paulo" called by Thais probably derive from "Saint Paul" or "Saint Paulo".

Wat Sao Thong


Wat Sao Thong Thong is to the north of the Royal Palace. The vihara and the main Buddha image were created in the Ayutthaya period. Later, King Narai restored this monastery and changed the windows of the vihara into a western style.

Wat Yang Na Rangsi

This temple is located by the Lop Buri River, 9 kms. south of the town centre on the Lop Buri-Bang Pahan route. The four Buddha images made of sandstone and quartz in the temple suggest that this forest temple could have been built during the Lawo period. The old wooden teaching hall was built in 1927 in a typical style of the rural central region. After the restoration in 1988, it was turned into a local boat museum. A collection of local boats and oars in various types are displayed, particularly a rare one-seat barge, which plied local waterways in the old days.

Water Reservoir

Water Reservoir stored water which came through terra cotta pipes from Tha-le Chupson, a large freshwater lake which supplied drinking water to the inhabitants of Lop Buri.

Amphoe Phatthana Nikhom

Sunflower Fields



Some 45 kms. from the town, Thailand's largest sunflower plantation in Amphoe Phatthana Nikhom attracts all passers-by when the flowers are in full bloom from November to January.

Amphoe Tha Wung

Wat Lai

This Ayutthaya period temple is located on the bank of the Bang Kham River, Amphoe Tha Wung, some 24 kms. from the town. It is noted for a chapel decorated with stucco in various motifs, depicting Lord Buddha's previous life story and the first sermon. The exquisite craftmanship makes this a masterpiece of Thai sculpture.

Amphoe Chai Badan

Wang Kan Luang Waterfall



Some 20 km from Lam Narai Market in Chai Badan District (via Highway 2089), this refreshing has ten cascades and flows throughout the year thanks to a nearby large underground water source.