#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Farming & Gardening In Thailand >  >  > Thailands Zoos and Animals >  >  Timeless Lopburi.

## Captain Sensible

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

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## aging one

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

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## 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!


 :Smile:

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## Captain Sensible

> 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. :Smile:

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## 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.

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## Captain Sensible

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## Captain Sensible

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## dirtydog

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

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## Captain Sensible

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## Captain Sensible

> 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. :Smile:

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## Captain Sensible

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.

_

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## poolcleaner

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

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## Captain Sensible

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## Captain Sensible

> Do the females sit side saddle when they take a motocy?


*sigh* Yes Pooly, the gals sit sidee ways when they tae a motorsai. :Smile:

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## poolcleaner

I meant the female monkeys!!

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## Captain Sensible

> I meant the female monkeys!!


Ah! I see. No. :Razz:

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## Captain Sensible

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




LINKY LINK TO LOPBURI GALLERY

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## MeMock

> 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.

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## Ken May

> 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.

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## Torbek

> 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.




> 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...

 :Sad:

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## 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  :Smile:

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## poolcleaner

> 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.

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## Torbek

> 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...

 :Mad:

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## dirtydog

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

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## Torbek

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!

 :bunny3:

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## Captain Sensible

And so...........I hope nobody minds but here is one of the two bars that is the nightlife in Lopburi. This one is called 'Come On Bar'.

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## Captain Sensible

And this gaff called 'The White House' is contiguous.



I think that The White House does rooms as well. There are a few empty shops in this precinct that might be worth putting a fridge in and selling beers from. :Smile:

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## dirtydog

erm so where the fok are they cap? ie like what soi?

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## Captain Sensible

> erm so where the fok are they cap? ie like what soi?


What are you? Limp? Get off the train and turn left. This aint Bangers mate.

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## DrAndy

like a nice place for a visit

I will have to pencil it in


pause: I actually typed "looks like a nice...etc"  but this board seems to reject the first few letters, unless you wait for it to fully load

so hardly a quick reply then!

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## Captain Sensible

To be honest I havent got a clue what soi the bars are on. All the soi signs are in foriegn. You wont miss them though as they are in the same soi as the night market (I think). :Confused:

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## marklatham

A monkey sitting on an HT kingswood-what a great shot.
My ex missus is from near lop buri and the monkeys are venerated.Isn't there a shrine in the town inhabited by hundreds of them?
There is an old story about the lop buri monkeys catching the train to some other town to beat up their monkeys.
The monkeys are loved because of their role in some battle long ago.

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## aging one

> To be honest I havent got a clue what soi the bars are on. All the soi signs are in foriegn. You wont miss them though as they are in the same soi as the night market (I think).


Damn our roving reporter has forgotten which network he works for.


Sounds downright scary up there. It all foreign

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## reinvented

There used to be a small place opposite the station that did 300 baht short, long or life time...allegedly
found Loppers a bit faceless and i see plenty of monkeys in bangkok
and the tyrainside girls looked like they'ed had the 57th thai paras jump them

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## Torbek

> There used to be a small place opposite the station that did 300 baht short, long or life time...allegedly
> found Loppers a bit faceless and i see plenty of monkeys in bangkok
> and the tyrainside girls looked like they'ed had the 57th thai paras jump them


The wise words of a man who has _defintely_ been there!

I think I referred to the Lopburi 300 baht short time girls on one of DDs threads!

Reinvented is actually talking about a different place to me. Which is kind of frightening really - so Lopburi has *TWO* places with 300 baht short time girls who look like paras?

CS...the fact you were in bed by 10-00 pm in your night out in Lopburi is either testament to your more discerning taste...or evidence of the lack thereof!

 :Smile:

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## marklatham

A monkey sitting on top of an HT kingswood in lop buri.
Here in australia they used to sit inside them.

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## poolcleaner

> A monkey sitting on top of an HT kingswood in lop buri.
> Here in australia they used to sit inside them.


You rac*st bastard!!

What would 'Our Kathy' have to say about that!!!!!

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## Captain Sensible

> CS...the fact you were in bed by 10-00 pm in your night out in Lopburi is either testament to your more discerning taste...or evidence of the lack thereof!


 Good point ol' boy.      


> HT


Actually Mark, I think it was an HK Holden.

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## poolcleaner

> Originally Posted by Torbers
> 
> CS...the fact you were in bed by 10-00 pm in your night out in Lopburi is either testament to your more discerning taste...or evidence of the lack thereof!
> 
> 
>  Good point ol' boy.      
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hk had a different rear light...

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## Captain Sensible

Can I beg to differ? Your pic is of the two door Monaro. The original pic is of the 4 door, common all garden HK. Though the tail lights are exactly the same. Are they not? *grins*

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## Captain Sensible

Oh bugger. They arent. Damn.

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## Captain Sensible

Anyway so Lopburi is great.  :Sensifruitwave:  I would embue anyone to visit Lopburi. It is timeless. Except for HT/HK Holdens, where you will always find someone who wants to argue. *grins*  What is up with my doodah, Xzyte?

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## Torbek

Not a bad town!

I've just finished two nights "starring" - well, along with 50-100 others - in an historical re-enactment of events in Lopburi in 1660. Played a farang ambassador from the time - well, more like just ponced about in a silly outfit.

Part of the annual King Narai festival here, held in his palace grounds. Three performances a night to about 1,000 people around the lit ruins of 17th century buildings. 

All good fun and one of the attractions of living in a rural town - being asked to participate in shit like this!

I will miss this sort of thing once I move to Bangkok week after next...


(I'd post a picture but don't know how!)

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## poolcleaner

I get asked by girls all the time to put in an historic performance here in Bangers!

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## Torbek

Yes...but as the girls might find out the "hard" way...what you ask for and what you get can be two _very_ different things!

 :Smile:

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## poolcleaner

> Yes...but as the girls might find out the "hard" way...what you ask for and what you get can be two _very_ different things!


Oh they can ask for the world but it's the 'folding they're holding' that really satisfies them!

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## Captain Sensible

> I get asked by girls all the time to put in an historic performance here in Bangers!


 And I get asked to ponse about in silly outfits all the time. What gives?

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## poolcleaner

> Originally Posted by poolcleaner
> 
> I get asked by girls all the time to put in an historic performance here in Bangers!
> 
> 
>  And I get asked to ponse about in silly outfits all the time. What gives?


ponce.................speling iz importent cap!

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## Texpat

Lop Buri is home to RTAFB Koke Khatiem and nearby gunnery range. Also main staging base for Thai SF. For the past few years, I'd go there during during the Spring. We lived in the Lop Buri Inn -- a Monkey Hotel featuring a pair of 10-meter tall lings outside with a monkey scrotum the size of a washing machine. Great photos to send home to mum!

Anyway the side of a nearby mountain is called Chandy Range. Thai and US fighters drop 1,000 pound bombs on bamboo targets that some brave Thais set out. Once the targets are set up, they crawl into a bunker in the mountain and wait for the BOOM. Then they crawl out and set up new targets -- while the jets are circling overhead. Feckin madness.

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## friscofrankie

> Lop Buri is home to Koke Khatiem Air Base and gunnery range. For the past few years, I'd go there during Cobra Gold. We lived in the Lop Buri Inn -- a Monkey Hotel featuring a pair of 10-meter tall lings outside with a monkey scrotum the size of a washing machine. Great photos to send home to mum!
> 
> Anyway the side of a nearby mountain is called Chandy Range. Thai and US fighters drop 1,000 pound bombs on bamboo targets that some brave Thais set out. Once the targets are set up, they crawl into a bunker in the mountain and wait for the BOOM. Then they crawl out and set up new targets -- while the jets are circling overhead. Feckin madness.


When is that?  If it still goes on.

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## Eliminator

That would be a site to see for sure. :Wall:  I'll just stay in the bunker.

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