Thailand: A Day Trip To LopBuri From Bangkok
If you’re staying in Bangkok and want to escape the smug and have a day adventure this one here is definitely for you. This is a ‘cheap and cheerful’ day trip to help you see a bit more of Thailand than you planned for.
Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya is a major historical city. Back in the day, about 300 years ago, it was the largest city in the world. I can’t say I knew anything about it before I jumped on the train. Present-day, all that is left are loads of temple ruins plotted around the city, 9 to be exact. They are viewed as sacred locations in Thailand. Generally each of the places charges around 50baht (£0.70) to enter. If you are into ruins Ayutthaya is going to be your dream location. Me, I’m a child, once monkeys were on the cards I wasn’t interested in anything else. But I visited one of the main places, Wat Mahathat. The iconic location showcases a buddah’s head entwined within the roots of a banyan tree. You can’t go next to the tree and you have to sit on a plank of wood to view it, standing is not allowed.
I recommend hiring a tuk-tuk driver from outside the train station to accompany you on your tour. If not you are going to be walking far. Maybe walking is your thing, but it’s not for me! All prices in Thailand are negotiable, so play the game.
Lopburi
One of the highlights of my trip to Thailand was going to play with monkeys. I still can’t believe that this spot is mad underrated and pretty much tourist-free. The monkeys are so lively and basically run Lopburi. I’m talking about monkeys walking across the roads stopping traffic, rummaging through rubbish bins and chilling in packs on the street.
I paid 50 baht (£1.25) as an entrance fee to the monkey temple where the majority of the monkeys in Lopburi are. In the middle of what looks like a gated field, there are the ruins of a temple. The temple itself the monkeys cannot enter, so they hover on the grass and on the outside parts of the temple. I spent the longest amount of time there with the monkeys. Initially, I was shooketh. No shock there. After a while, though I warmed up to the monkeys and definitely felt like I was destined to be a character in the Jungle Book.
You get given sticks on entry to deter the monkeys from moving mad… You’re supposed to slap the ground with the stick, not the monkeys. Anyway, the monkeys think it’s all a big game and swing from the sticks.
I had the little homeboy that I named Charles, he massaged my head and now and again grabbed my boob. Cheeky but resourceful. Oh and he also stole one of my earrings and bit off baubles from my flip flops… but we move.
There’s no rule against filming the monkeys but you’re going into their territory and monkeys will be monkeys. I saw a tourist put his camera on the ground to get footage of them. Bear in mind that the monkeys are curious but also big thieves so when they came closer to his camera the guy attempted to boot them, leg up and full force ready to rain down on the monkeys. Don’t be that guy, honestly, I wanted to boot him!
Transport
I was staying in Bangkok and went to Lopburi via train, it’s a 3-hour journey. I went from Bangkok to Ayutthaya, which took about 90 minutes and then went to see some of the historical ruins. Then I jumped on the train from Ayutthaya to Lopburi which was a 60-minute journey. It really broke down the day.
Ticket wise you want class 3 unless you’re good with paying hundreds of bahts for your tickets. My tickets worked out being 28 Thai baht (£0.70) each way. The train ride is a trip itself with various food vendors roaming the carriages selling things.
Tips… Major Keys
Wear clothing that covers your arms and legs. The monkeys are fast and will crawl upon you and they have nails. Also, the temples in Ayutthaya have clothing rules too so if you’re covered you’re good for both places.
Don’t wear flip-flops. I made that error and ended up with rusty wiring in my foot. I was bleeding and in pain, luckily the temple staff were really helpful and sorted me out. Regardless the monkeys didn’t give me a timeout and treated me like a climbing frame whilst I freaked out.
Keep your belongings zipped up or with the temple staff. No joke, my friend’s train ticket got snatched from his bag by a monkey. They are A-class pickpockets!
Only the young monkeys will entertain you unless you have food! I ended up in a situation with a big ass monkey on my head. I didn’t even have enough time for fear to sink in hahaha
The train connecting Lopburi and Bangkok doesn’t come often, every few hours to be more realistic, so make sure you plan in advance.
