Lopburi is a city in Thailand, capital of the Lopburi province. The city is located about 150km north-east of Bangkok, at . Population 54,000.
The city has a long history, dating back into the Dvaravati period more than 1000 years ago, then known as Lavo. When the Khmer empire incorporated it they destroyed all former buildings, thus the oldest ruins which can now be found in Lopburi are Khmer temple. It later became part of the Thai kingdoms, and during the reign of king Narai of the Ayutthaya kingdom in the middle of the 17th century Lopburi even served as a second capital, when the main capital Ayutthaya was threatened by Dutch.
Today the city is most famous because of its monkeys. Especially around the Khmer temple Prang Sam Yot hundreds of Crab-Eating Macaques (Macaca fascicularis) live in the middle of the city. Especially during the Monkey festival in November they are fed by the local people, but being used to humans they steal whatever food they can find.
