Phra Prang Sam Yot

Phra Prang Sam Yot was built in the thirteenth century under Jayavarman VII as a Khmer Mahayana Buddhist shrine, three laterite towers linked by corridors representing the Buddhist trinity, and later converted to Theravada use when Lopburi came under Ayutthaya; in King Narai's reign a brick prayer hall was added on the east to hold a Buddha image. It stands in the middle of Lopburi beside the railway. The monkeys are the fact everyone deals with: some three thousand crab-eating macaques live in the old town, concentrated at this monument and the nearby Kala shrine, and their numbers grew sharply after the monkey buffet festival began in 1989; in 2024 a capture and sterilisation programme took in about 1,600 of them within five months. They steal anything and they bite. The buffet is still laid out for them each November.

What's there

• The three towers - thirteenth-century Khmer laterite prangs linked by corridors.
• The macaques - thousands in the old town, concentrated here.
• The conversion - a Mahayana shrine later adapted for Theravada use.
• The prayer hall - a brick wihan added on the east in King Narai's reign.

When to go

November to February; the monkey buffet festival is in late November. Early morning is marginally calmer. Leave bags, food, glasses and loose items behind or secured.

What to expect

The monkeys are aggressive and steal constantly. Carry nothing loose. The monument itself takes twenty minutes.

Nearby

King Narai's palace is a short walk; Lopburi station is beside the monument.

Key facts