Lopburi is very laid back, and its convenient location less than 3 hours from Bangkok makes it a good place to escape the stress and pollution of the capital. Though it is full of history, monkeys, and tourists, prices remain very low.Lopburi is one of the oldest cities in Thailand, a former capital and the second capital after Ayutthaya was established in 1350AD. It was abandoned after King Narai passed away in 1688, but parts were restored in 1856 by King Mongkut (King Rama IV) and in 1664 it was made the summer capital so the king could escape the heat of Ayutthaya.Lopburi has been an important center of the Khmer Empire, later a part of Ayutthaya kingdom, and Ayutthaya's second capital under the reign of King Narai, the great, who used to spend in Lopburi 8 months of a year. Later on King Mongkut of the Bangkokian Chakri Dynasty used to reside there. Thus the remains of almost all periods of the Thai history can be found here. http://wikitravel.org/en/Lopburi