King Taksin Shrine, Chanthaburi
When ancient Ayutthaya was under Burma’s control in the 18th century, Phraya Wachiraprakarn (who would later became King Taksin) stayed in Chanthaburi to recruit soldiers and collect food and supplies for the battle to free the kingdom. The king succeeded and monuments were constructed to commemorate the city’s historical importance. King Taksin Shrine shows the locals’ respect and admiration for the king and the design is striking. In addition to the roof that resembles His Majesty’s helmet, you can admire the Chinese-style architecture that celebrates the king’s Thai-Chinese roots. In fact, many soldiers recruited there were of Chinese descent.
City Pillar Shrine, Chanthaburi
It is located opposite King Taksin Shrine. It is not known when it was constructed. There is an assumption that King Taksin built it when he used Chanthaburi Province as a military base camp for mustering people, weapons and food for liberating the country from the ...
Lopburi ลพบุรี (Lop Buri), is the capital city of Lopburi Province in Thailand. It is about 150 kilometers (93 mi) northeast of Bangkok.
The city has a history dating back to the Dvaravati period more than 1,000 years ago. According to the Northern Chronicles, Lavo was founded by Phraya Kalavarnadishraj, who came from Takkasila in 648 AD.
Inscriptions say that Lopburi was incorporated into the administration structure of the Khmer Empire during the reign of Suryavarman I.
Control of Lopburi gave the Khmer Empire access to trade going through the Kra Isthmus. There is some evidence the Khmer Empire, under Suryavarman II, fought against the Mons in the 12th century over suzerainty.
After the foundation of the Ayutthaya Kingdom in the 14th century, Lopburi was a stronghold of Ayutthaya's rulers. It became the capital of the kingdom during the reign of King Narai in the mid 17th century and the king resided there about eight months a year.
The history of the area is very...
Prang Sam Yod Temple พระปรางค์สามยอด (early 13th century)
Prang Sam Yod (the 'Three Tower Temple') was a Mahayana Buddhist temple built by the powerful Khmer Emperor Jayavarman VII (r. 1181-1221). At that time, Lopburi (then known as Lavo) was on the northwestern frontiers of the empire.
Jayavarman may have been motivated to construct Prang Sam Yod as a center for the cult of royalty and the Buddhist religious system that imbued it with legitimacy. Some evidence for this is that Jayavarman also had installed in Lopburi a statue known as 'Jayabuddhamahanatha', which translates as 'Victorius Buddha, the Great Protector'. In any event, three major Buddhist deities were worshipped at this temple: the Buddha in the central tower, the Bodhisattva Avalokitasvara in the south tower, and Prajnaparamita (the goddess of wisdom) in the north tower.
The triple-tower layout of Prang Sam Yod was already a well-established convention at the time of its construction. One ...
The King Narai Reign Fair is an annual Lopburi festival that celebrates the reign of King Narai the Great who ruled the Kingdom of Ayutthaya from 1656 to 1688.
He is regarded as the greatest Thai king of that era establishing both commercial and diplomatic relations with European and middle eastern countries, particularly France.
King Narai lived in the city making it his capital nine months out of the year. After Narai’s death in 1688, the French influence in Ayutthaya declined and they were eventually expelled from the kingdom.
The fair is held in the ancient King Narai Palace and runs for nine days. There are a host of interesting events and activities to
enjoy. This year’s fair will run from the 14th to the 23rd of February, 2025.
The center of festivities is the King Narai Palace, also known as Phra Narai Ratchanivet.
Other venues nearby are Prang Khaek, Wat Phrasi Rattana Mahathat & Vichayen House. All of the venues are free to enter for both foreigners and Thais during the ...
