Timeless Lopburi.
It is 14 years since I last journeyed to Lopburi and when I alighted from the train some lovely memories flooded my thinking. I had travelled to Lopburi with an English galfriend all that while ago and I was struck by how much nothing had changed in that time.
I walked around the town centre and photographed some monkeys swinging from the overhead lines before heading to the hotel that we had stayed in at back in '92. The Lopburi Asia Hotel.
Lopburi isnt for everyone though and you should be aware that unless you have some Thai language under your belt it might be a bit daunting as very little English is spoken here. That said, even the most white legged farang will be made to feel welcome here in Lopburi as it is a colourful, friendly, regional centre like so many in Thailand.
Lopburi was once the capital of Siam and is bespeckled with Khmer ruins throughout the city centre. As this thread continues, perhaps some of its history will come to light but at the time of writing this wee blog I really have little idea as to Lopburi's real history other than its heyday was around 1570 in falang years. Although I am aware that it was King Narai the Great who was the monarch who made Lopburi the capital.
Only two hours and 24 baht north of Don Muang on the train, Lopburi should be on the agenda of anyone touring Thailand. To my way of thinking it is a gentle immersion into Thailand proper as the falang here are so few and far between that we simply are not catered for. Well not like they are in Bangkok or Pattaya anyway.
I believe that Lopburi's significance is tied in with the silk industry but again, I want to do some more research on this. I did see a few shops specializing in silk garments and I also spied a number of gals wearing silk smock type outfits. If anyone has any knowledge of this please feel free to comment.
Shortly, I shall shower, put on my kissing gear and venture out to capture the Lopburi nightlife but I have got this funny feeling that I will be back in room 410 at The Asia Hotel watching Thai movies with Chinese subtitles before 10pm