Lop Buri Hotels

Lopburi is very laid back, and its convenient location less than 3 hours from Bangkok makes it a good place to escape the stress and pollution of the capital. Lopburi is one of the oldest cities in Thailand, a former capital and the second capital after Ayutthaya was established in 1350AD. It was abandoned after King Narai passed away in 1688, but parts were restored in 1856 by King Mongkut (King Rama IV) and in 1664 it was made the summer capital. Lopburi has been an important part of the Khmer Empire, later a part of Ayutthaya kingdom, and Ayutthaya's second capital under the reign of King Narai, the great, who used to spend eight months of a year in Lopburi. Later on King Mongkut of the Bangkokian Chakri Dynasty used to reside here. Thus the remains of almost all periods of Thai history can be found here. Walkable and amiable, Lopburi is a pleasant small town for tiptoeing off the tourist trail. Ancient ruins amid modern shophouses attest to Lopburi's role in the central region's shifting empires – the Dvaravati, Khmers, Sukhothai and Ayuthaya all established administrative centres here. Today the rulers of the ruins are a resident troop of monkeys who add mischief and mayhem to these retired places. Meanwhile, a low-key town filled with motorcycle shops and ice-cream parlours has grown like a weed, providing an engaging vantage point for Thai provincial life as well as a historical retrospective. Most of Lopburi's highlights can be seen and appreciated in one or two days en route north from Ayuthaya.