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  1. #1
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    Timeless Lopburi.

    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

  2. #2
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    You have a TV in that room? The same non air room as before?

  3. #3
    There once upon a time...
    Torbek's Avatar
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    Didn't know you were coming up my way.

    We could have caught up and I could have shown you the Lopburi nightlife...although it did close early a couple of nights last week!



  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Torbek
    Didn't know you were coming up my way.

    We could have caught up and I could have shown you the Lopburi nightlife...although it did close early a couple of nights last week!


    Damn! I hadnt realized that you were in Loppers Torbek. Now that is a shame. Never mind. I will catch up with you in March in Bangers.

  5. #5
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    Here is a pic of a Holden complete with monkey. I took this in the old town centre. The bloody monkeys are all over the gaff. Yesterday morning I woke up and found a monkey clinging to the bars outside my window. Nice chap actually. Name of Pedro, or so he said.

  6. #6
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  7. #7
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  8. #8

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    How comes they let the monkeys live in the town center?

  9. #9
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by dirtydog
    How comes they let the monkeys live in the town center?
    Not sure mate but the are certainly looked after. There are statues of monkeys all over the town as well. There are literally thousands of them there. Its worth the journey just to see the monkeys roaming all over the place. That said, I should point out that there are none in the town centre proper. This is the old town centre.

  11. #11
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    The old town is where you will find the ancient walled temple complex where King Narai the Great lived. I would guess at being on about 30 rai with fabulous gardens and loads of Khmer ruins.

    _

  12. #12
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    Do the females sit side saddle when they take a motocy?

  13. #13
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  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by poolcleaner
    Do the females sit side saddle when they take a motocy?
    *sigh* Yes Pooly, the gals sit sidee ways when they tae a motorsai.

  15. #15
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    I meant the female monkeys!!

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by poolcleaner
    I meant the female monkeys!!
    Ah! I see. No.

  17. #17
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    I will post this last pic but invite any one interested to view all of the Lopburi pics in my Gallery. No charge.




    LINKY LINK TO LOPBURI GALLERY

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Captain Sensible


    Here is a pic of a Holden complete with monkey. I took this in the old town centre. The bloody monkeys are all over the gaff. Yesterday morning I woke up and found a monkey clinging to the bars outside my window. Nice chap actually. Name of Pedro, or so he said.
    Great pic CS. It always amazes me where holdens end up in thailand.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Torbek
    Didn't know you were coming up my way.

    We could have caught up and I could have shown you the Lopburi nightlife...although it did close early a couple of nights last week!


    Torbek, I didn't know that you were living in the monkey city. I am practically at your doorstep in Ayutthaya. I heard a rumour that there were three of you English teachers in Lopburi now. In 2002 there was no one there. Its about time that had a few English teachers, the locals knew very little of it in the past.

    I enjoy the khmer ruins and the river in that area. I can't remember any nightlife. Basically, I just bought a few large beer changs and hung out with the monkeys. Those monkeys are total bastards, but then again, so are some of my friends.

    I even stayed in that same room in the pix. If I remeber right, there weren't any tuk-tuks in Lopburi. Transportation was a pain in the ass, but everything was in walking distance anyway.

  20. #20
    There once upon a time...
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken May
    I heard a rumour that there were three of you English teachers in Lopburi now. In 2002 there was no one there.
    Perhaps pushing 20 foreign teachers here now.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ken May
    Its about time that had a few English teachers, the locals knew very little of it in the past.
    They still don't...so the increase in teachers hasn't followed through...yet...perhaps...ever...


  21. #21

    R.I.P.


    dirtydog's Avatar
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    It is so difficult for them to get proper teachers though, they have these guys who do a few day's course and then title themselves teachers, it's all quite sad really

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by dirtydog
    It is so difficult for them to get proper teachers though, they have these guys who do a few day's course and then title themselves teachers, it's all quite sad really
    Yes, I wish they had come to my TEFL school.
    I'd have set them right.
    Classroom management is the key to success.

  23. #23
    There once upon a time...
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    Quote Originally Posted by dirtydog
    It is so difficult for them to get proper teachers though, they have these guys who do a few day's course and then title themselves teachers, it's all quite sad really
    Indeed it is.

    I never rated the teaching profession particularly highly back home. Salary differentials and low levels of academic requirements for teaching courses suggest the majority of others were of the same view.

    Nothing I have seen here suggests I modify that early generalisation to any great extent.

    Poor recruitment practices; academic fraud; lack of monitoring or measurement; low salaries; lack of differentiation of quality of TEFLers by both parents and administration; ease of entry.

    These factors all ensure the quality of many TEFL teachers in Thailand is a disgrace. These represent at best a small majority and at worst a vast majority.

    I suppose what keeps me plugging away is that despite this ugly majority, there are still a good number, from all sorts of backgrounds and walks of life, that do a bloody good job.

    Keep chipping away, DD. Although, the thing is, in relation to the obvious and less savoury aspects of the industry, I can only agree with you...


  24. #24

    R.I.P.


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    hmmmm, have to think of a new tact to take with you then torbers seems you dont bite no more

  25. #25
    There once upon a time...
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    I'm just having a bad week posting, DD!

    Seems everything I fuckin' say is being misinterpreted. Time to hang up my fuckin' lance and leave the windmills alone for a while.

    Don't worry...I'll be back to being easily baited after a couple days break and you can wind me up on this issue again then!


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