Phra Prang Sam Yot
Phra Prang Sam Yot
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4.0
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JamesFromDublin
London, UK3 contributions
Serious safety incident
Jul 2023
This activity looked really fun for kids, so we went out of our way to go there. But as we entered the temple a monkey jumped on my 10 year old son's back and bit him. We ended up spending over 400 USD on rabies vaccines/doctors. It's not kid-friendly, and at the end of the day, they are wild animals, and can't be trusted. Both my kids were screaming and in tears, the monkey was gross and it's body was wet all over.
If you REALLY want to go, I recommend wearing a thick sarong over your head/shoulders to monkey-proof yourself a bit, and then also carry a stick to shoo them away.
It looks cool to take a few photos, but if you get bitten, and I believe that quite a few people are, it's not worth the disruption to your holiday.
Rabies is endemic to Thailand, and even though you have a small chance of developing rabies after a bite, you should get the vaccine, because the disease is deadly and un-treatable. Also, it's not just a case of getting a quick vaccination if you get bitten, it's a course of 4 vaccines, on the day of the bite, 3 days later, a week later and a month later).
If you REALLY want to go, I recommend wearing a thick sarong over your head/shoulders to monkey-proof yourself a bit, and then also carry a stick to shoo them away.
It looks cool to take a few photos, but if you get bitten, and I believe that quite a few people are, it's not worth the disruption to your holiday.
Rabies is endemic to Thailand, and even though you have a small chance of developing rabies after a bite, you should get the vaccine, because the disease is deadly and un-treatable. Also, it's not just a case of getting a quick vaccination if you get bitten, it's a course of 4 vaccines, on the day of the bite, 3 days later, a week later and a month later).
Written August 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Auguste Gusteau
Lucca, Italy166 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
Visit carried out to coincide with the Monkey Buffet Festival, an undoubtedly evocative event, also considering the set-up planned around the temple. The archaeological monument in itself is interesting, although immersed in a rather dilapidated context, and on that day it obviously takes on further charm. The monkeys are very many, annoying, insolent and annoying; We do not recommend the visit to anyone who is afraid and wants to avoid risks for the rest of the trip (they can bite, with all the consequences this entails in terms of infections and medical treatment). Considering the distance from other centers, it is right to know that on any given day, an hour's visit is more than enough.
Written January 2, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Steve and Noelle
Bangkok, Thailand21 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
We enjoyed this as a nice day trip out of Bangkok. A two hour train ride to/from Bangkok and about two hours in town was perfect. The monkey temple was fun, but kind of fun like traveling much too fast on a slippery surface...we didn’t have any issues with aggressive monkey behavior but had read the other reviews and prepared. We did see someone feed the monkeys sweets and the monkeys swarmed them.
Overall, a nice diversion from Bangkok for a day when you’re “Wat’ed out” and want to do something a little different.
Overall, a nice diversion from Bangkok for a day when you’re “Wat’ed out” and want to do something a little different.
Written February 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
anyamagic
Bangkok, Thailand1,840 contributions
Mar 2019
"Phra Prang Sam Yot" is beautiful LandMark of Lopburi city. Also, Thai people called Lopburi is The Monkeys city.So....If you come to this place,you will see hundred monkeys all around. so please be cautious if you're afraid of monkeys.
They are very aggressive, so be careful with them. By the way, you will see how lovely they are. Parking on main street and walk in.Such memorable!
They are very aggressive, so be careful with them. By the way, you will see how lovely they are. Parking on main street and walk in.Such memorable!
Written October 11, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
philby1
Melbourne, Australia512 contributions
May 2011 • Couples
That title sounds a bit melodramatic, but the monkeys here OWN this place. They are protected on the land, and have free roam of the place (with the exception of the inside of the temple). As you enter the gates, you will most likely be approached by a local who will walk with you explaining the significance of the site, the history of the grounds, and more importantly, keep the monkeys at bay for you. The monkeys are lively, and are incredibly indifferent to human interaction. They will without hesitation, climb upon you, or rifle through your bags and pockets. Not necessarily aggressively, but simply looking for food. This can be a rather daunting (and for some people, more than likely off-putting) experience. If the thought of close interaction with monkeys upsets you, this is probably a place to give a miss.
The guides have a rapport with the monkeys, and there appears to be a mutual respect between them. Having the monkeys kept at bay is helpful as it means you can relax and enjoy the ruins more (the guides will gladly encourage the monkeys for you if you would like to have a photo taken with them).
The interior of the temple is a haven on a hot day - as a refuge from not only the relentless sun, but also from the monkeys. There are some headless Buddha statues inside, and if you are quiet and look carefully you should be able to see bats nesting in the roofwork.
The guides are knowledgable, and more often than not, their work here is the only income for their family (sometimes it is even children working, providing for their parents). You may be able to bargain them down on price if you agree up-front, but remember Thais are a proud people, and a small difference in price for you, can make a big difference for them, so try not to give them a hard time.
We traveled to Lop Buri by train from Hua Lumphong station in Bangkok. Lop Buri is on the northern line to Chiang Mai, via Ayutthaya and there are dozens of trains daily. The tickets vary depending on train type and class of carriage. The trip to Lop Buri is between 2 and 3 hours, so you might want to consider combining a trip here with a trip to Ayutthaya over a few days rather than making it a day trip. Third class carriages leave a lot to be desired compared to western train systems, but they have open windows, circulating fans, and the seats are fine for a trip of this length. Watching the Thai country-side slip by you is a mesmerising experience, and one I could spend a considerable amount of time doing.
The guides have a rapport with the monkeys, and there appears to be a mutual respect between them. Having the monkeys kept at bay is helpful as it means you can relax and enjoy the ruins more (the guides will gladly encourage the monkeys for you if you would like to have a photo taken with them).
The interior of the temple is a haven on a hot day - as a refuge from not only the relentless sun, but also from the monkeys. There are some headless Buddha statues inside, and if you are quiet and look carefully you should be able to see bats nesting in the roofwork.
The guides are knowledgable, and more often than not, their work here is the only income for their family (sometimes it is even children working, providing for their parents). You may be able to bargain them down on price if you agree up-front, but remember Thais are a proud people, and a small difference in price for you, can make a big difference for them, so try not to give them a hard time.
We traveled to Lop Buri by train from Hua Lumphong station in Bangkok. Lop Buri is on the northern line to Chiang Mai, via Ayutthaya and there are dozens of trains daily. The tickets vary depending on train type and class of carriage. The trip to Lop Buri is between 2 and 3 hours, so you might want to consider combining a trip here with a trip to Ayutthaya over a few days rather than making it a day trip. Third class carriages leave a lot to be desired compared to western train systems, but they have open windows, circulating fans, and the seats are fine for a trip of this length. Watching the Thai country-side slip by you is a mesmerising experience, and one I could spend a considerable amount of time doing.
Written February 6, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anita40
Long Beach, California113 contributions
The town of Lop Buri (which our Thai housekeeper tells us means "monkey" in Thai) is about 3 hours north of Bangkok by train. We decided to travel there on our last trip to Bangkok after reading about it in a travel guidebook. We combined it with a visit to Ayutthaya in one day - a little bit of a long day but a nice adventure! On the way home tons of schoolkids were on the train with us and it was fun to watch them chat and laugh like kids anywhere do!
The train to get there cost us about $6 round trip from Bangkok for all three of us and was comfortable. You can upgrade to first class for just a little more but, even though the cars are air conditioned, the windows are so scratched up and old that you can't see out of them, at least in the car we tried. The countryside on the way is really beautiful and typically Thai - rice fields, taro, temple roofs, stilt houses - a great way to see authentic Thai life!
The town of Lop Buri itself has very little to see except the old Khmer Wat. The town is quite gritty but there is a nice clean 7 Eleven to cool down in and grab something to drink on the way to and from the station. If you turn right out of the train station you will arrive at the Wat in just a 5 minute walk up the road.
The main thing that you go here to see are the hundreds of monkeys that live in and around the wat. A few guidebooks say that the Wat is "infested" and that really is an accurate description. Everywhere you look there are monkeys. They are even on the surrounding buildings in the town hanging on the wires and climbing up the sides, and the storekeepers have to chase them out on a regular basis.
When you enter the Wat you can hire a guy with a stick to follow you to keep the monkeys away if you don't want them too close. We bought a bag of food for them and my 9 year old son was a little freaked out by how many monkeys rushed over and started begging for food and fighting over it amongst each other. After a while we relaxed and, by the time we left, monkeys were sitting on my son's head and he was feeding them. Makes for a great photo op! If you stop feeding them they start to pick through your hair like you're one of them - - -
While we were there several fruit vendors came to dump their remaining inventory at the end of the day. Monkey feeding frenzy!
Take a few minutes and go inside the old wat - there are bars on all the openings to keep the monkeys out. If you look up to the ceiling in to the cracks and crevases there are bats who sleep there during the day.
This isn't a place for someone who is at all skittish about animals - the monkeys WILL try to climb on you. A few of them are a bit aggressive but that's what the guy with the stick is for! We hired him and he did a great job for us.
The train to get there cost us about $6 round trip from Bangkok for all three of us and was comfortable. You can upgrade to first class for just a little more but, even though the cars are air conditioned, the windows are so scratched up and old that you can't see out of them, at least in the car we tried. The countryside on the way is really beautiful and typically Thai - rice fields, taro, temple roofs, stilt houses - a great way to see authentic Thai life!
The town of Lop Buri itself has very little to see except the old Khmer Wat. The town is quite gritty but there is a nice clean 7 Eleven to cool down in and grab something to drink on the way to and from the station. If you turn right out of the train station you will arrive at the Wat in just a 5 minute walk up the road.
The main thing that you go here to see are the hundreds of monkeys that live in and around the wat. A few guidebooks say that the Wat is "infested" and that really is an accurate description. Everywhere you look there are monkeys. They are even on the surrounding buildings in the town hanging on the wires and climbing up the sides, and the storekeepers have to chase them out on a regular basis.
When you enter the Wat you can hire a guy with a stick to follow you to keep the monkeys away if you don't want them too close. We bought a bag of food for them and my 9 year old son was a little freaked out by how many monkeys rushed over and started begging for food and fighting over it amongst each other. After a while we relaxed and, by the time we left, monkeys were sitting on my son's head and he was feeding them. Makes for a great photo op! If you stop feeding them they start to pick through your hair like you're one of them - - -
While we were there several fruit vendors came to dump their remaining inventory at the end of the day. Monkey feeding frenzy!
Take a few minutes and go inside the old wat - there are bars on all the openings to keep the monkeys out. If you look up to the ceiling in to the cracks and crevases there are bats who sleep there during the day.
This isn't a place for someone who is at all skittish about animals - the monkeys WILL try to climb on you. A few of them are a bit aggressive but that's what the guy with the stick is for! We hired him and he did a great job for us.
Written August 30, 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Doug-in-SF
San Francisco, CA43 contributions
Aug 2016 • Solo
I'm not sure of which mistake I made when visiting this ancient temple. I was attacked by a group of monkeys about 5 meters from the kiosk where I paid my 50 Baht entrance fee. I had no food, no bags or anything except my camera and my Golden State Warriors hat with me when I visited.
My guess is that I came too early (I wanted to get photos with good morning lighting); so I was there around 8AM) The monkeys are fed at 10AM. I was the only tourist visitor when I entered the site.
I snapped a couple of pics before first monkey jumped on me from behind and climbed up to the top of my back. Several other monkeys followed. The hat seemed to be the desired object and the monkeys commenced fighting for it while still climbing all over me. When my hair started to be pulled during the fight for the hat I acted via natural reflex by raising my hand up towards my head. My hand was mauled. The gate keepers ran over and chased the monkeys off of me and later retrieved my hat for me. The gate keepers looked surprised and concerned. They tried to bandage my hand but their supplies were inadequate. While there was a lot of blood, the bites were niether deep or serious.
There are usually boys at the site with sticks that you can hire for pennys to protect you while visiting the Lop Puri monument. None were there when I arrived.
I did have to go to an emergency room later that day to get a series of anti-biotic shots, a rabies shot, more antibiotics and to get some decent bandaging of my injured hand. The hand still ended up swelling up for a couple of days and I had a low grade fever.
I'm sure that if I had gone later and hired one of the stick boys all would have been fine. As it is, I just packed up and left town without seeing any of the other sites.
My guess is that I came too early (I wanted to get photos with good morning lighting); so I was there around 8AM) The monkeys are fed at 10AM. I was the only tourist visitor when I entered the site.
I snapped a couple of pics before first monkey jumped on me from behind and climbed up to the top of my back. Several other monkeys followed. The hat seemed to be the desired object and the monkeys commenced fighting for it while still climbing all over me. When my hair started to be pulled during the fight for the hat I acted via natural reflex by raising my hand up towards my head. My hand was mauled. The gate keepers ran over and chased the monkeys off of me and later retrieved my hat for me. The gate keepers looked surprised and concerned. They tried to bandage my hand but their supplies were inadequate. While there was a lot of blood, the bites were niether deep or serious.
There are usually boys at the site with sticks that you can hire for pennys to protect you while visiting the Lop Puri monument. None were there when I arrived.
I did have to go to an emergency room later that day to get a series of anti-biotic shots, a rabies shot, more antibiotics and to get some decent bandaging of my injured hand. The hand still ended up swelling up for a couple of days and I had a low grade fever.
I'm sure that if I had gone later and hired one of the stick boys all would have been fine. As it is, I just packed up and left town without seeing any of the other sites.
Written August 11, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SJW145
Bangkok, Thailand12 contributions
Nov 2014 • Couples
I've been to this temple several times - I love the fact that you can go inside and watch the monkeys outside, with no fear of them coming too close! The Khmer temple is interesting from the outside, although the main attraction is all the macaques that live in the grounds. The monkeys can be somewhat aggressive and try to steal things - look out for people with sticks and catapults who will walk around with you for a small tip to keep any curious monkeys at bay! I've seen people letting the monkeys sit all over them, and all I can honestly think is - one bite and you're off for rabies shots! I think it's a cool place, but I do think people should be a bit more careful around wild animals.
Written February 22, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Spongybugcar
Birkirkara, Malta76 contributions
Feb 2015 • Couples
We caught the trian to LopBuri ... immidiatley when we arrived we were stopped by many bike taxis to take us to the Monkey temple for 70baht...do not fall for them...the temple is on your right hand side within a five min walk.
There is a 30baht entrance fee for each person, but it is worth entering... before you enter the temple you'll see loads of monkeys in the middle of the road and beware for the ones above you - they can and will jump on top of you.
Remember to hide any shiney objects you have including rings and glasses, make sure your bags are sealed and you have nothing in your pockets (i caught 1 putting his hand in my pocket) - do not approch the temple with a plastic bag in hand as they'll think its food for them...
Feed them at your own risk ... if you want to get near a monkey, just approch them - they'll be more than happy to jump on you. Having food around will only make it scary as loads of monkeys approach you and just snatch the food outta your hands and attack you as they think you have more food.
Just remember if they jump you and you want them iff, all you have to do is spin really fast! Simple, fast & funny.
Make sure you go with long trousers as if they start to climb, they might hurt or scratch you!
There is a 30baht entrance fee for each person, but it is worth entering... before you enter the temple you'll see loads of monkeys in the middle of the road and beware for the ones above you - they can and will jump on top of you.
Remember to hide any shiney objects you have including rings and glasses, make sure your bags are sealed and you have nothing in your pockets (i caught 1 putting his hand in my pocket) - do not approch the temple with a plastic bag in hand as they'll think its food for them...
Feed them at your own risk ... if you want to get near a monkey, just approch them - they'll be more than happy to jump on you. Having food around will only make it scary as loads of monkeys approach you and just snatch the food outta your hands and attack you as they think you have more food.
Just remember if they jump you and you want them iff, all you have to do is spin really fast! Simple, fast & funny.
Make sure you go with long trousers as if they start to climb, they might hurt or scratch you!
Written February 1, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pianocello
Shah Alam, Malaysia1,940 contributions
Aug 2016 • Couples
I can only recommend that you take pictures from outside a safe distance away. It is simply too dangerous. You are guaranteed to have monkeys attack you. Families with small children stay away.
Written July 30, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is the monkey festival cancelled this year (2017) or not? I have heard it has been cancelled.
Written November 13, 2017
It will be held on 25 and 26 November this year as usual.
Written November 14, 2017
มีการเก็บค่าเข้าชม จึงได้รับการดูแลอย่างดี แต่ลิงยังเยอะมากคับ
Written September 29, 2017
Faiz Itthiphat
Jitra, Malaysia
Do we need to pay the entrace fee? If yes, how much it costs?
Written July 10, 2017
Last Time I remember was 50 THB (US$2) Wear polite clothing and not carry a large purse or bags that the monkeys will grab and a fight you for, you will not win! LOL...seriously! Have fun
Written July 11, 2017
Faiz Itthiphat
Jitra, Malaysia
How far this temple from Lop Buri station? And how to get there?
Written July 9, 2017
When you come out of Lop Buri Railway Station turn left. The Temple is three blocks up the street. It is about a 10 minute walk.
Or you can catch a taxi from the railway station, or a sang taew, which is a two bench pick up type taxi, which will only cost you about 10 baht each.
Written July 10, 2017
Whats the easiest way to get here from Bangkok - it seems like you'd only want to spend about an hour or so here.. suggestions?
Written June 29, 2017
Hi Ann Marie D
The easiest way to get to Lop Buri is by Bus unless you have a car.
There are in fact quite a lot of full day tours which leave Bangkok. Long day, but if you are unwilling to stay over, then it is one alternative you may consider. Quite a bit to see in Lop Buri though, and an overnight stay is (I think) well worth while.
Written July 2, 2017
He leido que los templos en Lop Buri sólo abren de miercoles a domingo, es cierto?
Gracias
Written March 26, 2016
Hi are the ruins/ monkey seed selling man still open on weekends, thinking of going on a Sunday.
Written June 24, 2015
There are monkeys and people selling monkey food, corn, sunflower seeds, seven days a week. I've been during the festival but I've also been on a random Tuesday. The off days in the morning are really special as there are not many people, only many monkeys.
Written February 11, 2017
Hi Jeremy, can you pls tell me where did you get the van from? Or how I should go about getting one?
Written January 26, 2015
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