Early chronicles and inscriptions refer to Lopburi as "Lawo" or "Lawapura" from the Pali language - "city of the Lawa", the Lawa being one of the ancient peoples who inhabited what is now central Thailand, before the rise of the Tai* kingdoms, and whose descendants still inhabit many villages in the north of modern Thailand.

But it was a closely related people, the Mons, who founded one of the first recognizable civilisations in central Thailand. This was the Buddhist Dvaravati civilisation which flourished around the central plains of Thailand between the 6th and 9th centuries, C.E. and left coins and inscriptions to record their presence from the 5th century on. A selection of coins and Buddhist Lopburi from this period can be found in the Narai National Museum.

At the beginning of the 10th century in the time of Suryavarman I, Lopburi was absorbed into the Angkorean empire, and from this period date some of the most significant remains in the city, including Prang Khaek, Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahathat, and Phra Prang Sam Yot (below).

The decline of the Angkorean empire coincided with the rise of major Tai kingdoms at Chiang Mai under King Mengrai, and Sukhotai under King Ramkhamhaeng, Lopburi being absorbed into the latter.

As Sukhotai declined in the 14th century, Lopburi was absorbed into the Tai kingdom of Ayutthaya which had arisen in the central plains of the Chao Phrya valley. One of Ayutthaya's most notable monarchs, King Narai the Great (1656-1688) designated Lopburi as his second capital, constructing a great palace whose remains are one of the principal attractions of the old city.

This was the time of the Greek Adventurer Constantine Phaulkon, who became one of the king's top advisers. Under his Thai name of Chao Phraya Vichayen, Phaulkon's (Thai) name is remembered in Vichayen Road and Vichayen House, both just north of the remains of King Narai's Palace.

It is also one of the better documented episodes in Thai history. The rise of Phaulcon and his subsequent assassination is recorded in many western sources as well as in the Thai chronicles. The story involved rivalries within the court, and international rivalries between the Dutch, the French, the Portuguese, and the British East India Company.

Maurice Collis' Siamese White, a biography of Samuel White, a British adventurer (i.e. pirate) and protégé of Phaulcon, gives a real taste of the times and a lot of historical background.

After the death of King Narai, the town was abandoned for almost 170 years until the great 19th century King, Rama IV, ordered the restoration of the palace and subsequently used it as a summer palace.

Though many of the buildings in the extensive grounds of the palace, are still in ruins, the central Chantarapisarn pavilion was dedicated as the Lopburi Museum, and some years later the name was changed to the King Narai National Museum.

At 20 Baht, the Palace grounds and museum are well worth a visit, the museum containing more than 1800 items of historic interest.

Wat Mahathat

From the 9th to the 12th centuries C.E. and the reigns of Jayavarman II to Suryavarman II, much of central and eastern Thailand was part of the Khmer empire. The Khmer Monuments at Lopburi, Phimai, Phanom Rung, and elsewhere bear testimony to the Khmer presence in Thailand, and the outstanding quality of Angkorean architecture.

Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahathat, to give it its full name, is one of the larger historical sites in Lopburi, but sadly one of the less well preserved. Founded in the 13th century, the temple has been renovated, and added to, several times since, most notably during the reign of King Narai. One of the better preserved parts of the complex is the central Prang, part of the original foundation.

Phra Prang Sam Yod (sam yod = "three towers") dates from the 12th century, around the time of the Angkorean emperor Jayavarman VII. Jayavarman was a Mahayana Buddhist and so the three towers are thought to represent the Buddha (central) with the bodhisatvas Avalokitesvara (see note on Mahachai Railway Page) and Prajnaparamita on each side.