Lopburi nightlife
In short
Lopburi nightlife is small: the Na Sanprakan night market from 4pm, a few bars by the ruins, no clubs.
Lopburi is the day trip that turns into a fun night: monkeys at sunset, dinner at the market, and a beer by the ruins. Come back for the Monkey Buffet.
It's small: the evening is the old-town night market on Na Sanprakan Street, every day from about 4pm, and a few bars by the ruins.
Lopburi is two towns. The old town has the ruins, the monkeys, the market and the bars, all walkable. The new town is the modern side, where most groups only sleep.
Here's my evening in the old town.
5pm · Old town
The monkey temple at 5pm
AIPhoto: Mastertongapollo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Go late in the day: Phra Prang Sam Yot, Lopburi's landmark, is a Bayon-style Khmer temple with three linked prang towers, on a mound by the railway near San Phra Kan, the Tourism Authority of Thailand says (checked November 2026). It closes at 6pm, and more than 1,000 long-tailed macaques live in the city.
The monkeys are the show. Keep sunglasses, hats, food and phones out of reach, close your bags, and wear closed shoes.
Ten minutes with the monkeys at 5pm is plenty. Leave the sunglasses in the van.
Tanner- Prang Sam Yot · by the railway, closes at 6pm
6pm · Old town
Dinner at the night market
AIPhoto: AI-generated image
The night market runs every day from about 4pm along Na Sanprakan Street in the old town, and a Walking Street Market runs every Wednesday with clothes and local food.
It's a local market, not a tourist one. Most vendors have a few tables to eat on the spot, and the stalls wind down by about 9pm.
Eat at the market at 6pm, then walk to the bars. On a Wednesday, do the walking street too.
Tanner- Lopburi night market · Na Sanprakan Street, daily from about 4pm
- Walking Street Market · every Wednesday
8pm · Old town
A beer by the ruins
AIPhoto: AI-generated image
The bars are in the old town by the ruins: Noom's on Phaya Kamjad Road, where travellers fill the tables after dark for draft Chang and cocktails, and Come On Bar, with beer towers and mixed drinks at outdoor tables, popular with young locals.
Come On Bar sits on a quiet street next to Wat Phra Sri Mahathat, with street seating, a barbecue and spicy Thai salads. Budsi's on Ratchadamnoen Soi 1 is a small bar with guitars, a favourite of the town's English teachers.
Start at Noom's, finish at Come On Bar. Lopburi is a beer-and-barbecue town, not a club town.
Tanner- Noom's · Phaya Kamjad Road, draft Chang
- Come On Bar · by Wat Phra Sri Mahathat
- Budsi's · Ratchadamnoen Soi 1
November · Prang Sam Yot
The Monkey Buffet
AIPhoto: Mr.Peerapong Prasutr, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Lopburi Monkey Buffet Festival is on Sunday 29 November 2026, the last Sunday of November, at Prang Sam Yot: it starts at about 10am with a short ceremony and Thai dance, then more than 4,000 kilograms of fruit, vegetables and sweets are laid out for the macaques.
Watching from the street around the temple is free. The festival started in 1989, and the feast is served four times from 10am, with dancers in monkey costumes.
Arrive by 9am for a spot, stand behind the tables, not in front, and make it a Saturday-night trip so the group wakes up in town.
Tanner- Prang Sam Yot · Monkey Buffet, Sunday 29 November 2026, from 10am
Every place on this page (7)
- Prang Sam Yot
- Lopburi night market
- Walking Street Market
- Noom's
- Come On Bar
- Budsi's
- Prang Sam Yot
Coming up in Lopburi
Tonight in Lopburi, the night market fills Na Sanprakan Street in the evening, the temple closes at 6pm, and the bars by the ruins fill after dark; the season's big date is the Monkey Buffet in November.
See the Thailand party calendar for every date.
Every day from about 4pm
- What:
- Night market
- Where:
- Na Sanprakan Street
Every Wednesday
- What:
- Walking Street Market
- Where:
- Old town
Until 6pm
- What:
- Prang Sam Yot and the monkeys
- Where:
- Old town
Sunday 29 November 2026, 10am
- What:
- Monkey Buffet Festival
- Where:
- Prang Sam Yot
November to January
- What:
- Sunflower fields
- Where:
- Around Lopburi
When should you go to Lopburi?
November to January is the best time for Lopburi: the Monkey Buffet falls on the last Sunday of November, and the sunflower fields, about 40 kilometres from town, bloom from November to January.
Saturday is the best evening in town, when the day-trippers stay over.
On Buddhist holy days ordinary bars, restaurants and shops stop selling alcohol; licensed entertainment venues and hotels are exempt, under the Office of the Prime Minister's notice on days alcohol may not be sold (signed 7 May 2025; checked November 2026).
Ask Tanner to hold the Monkey Buffet weekend now.
Every day from 4pm
Night market
Na Sanprakan Street
Every Wednesday
Walking Street Market
Old town
Sun 29 Nov, 10am
Monkey Buffet Festival
Prang Sam Yot
Lopburi, Ayutthaya or Khao Yai?
For a bigger evening near Bangkok, Ayutthaya wins; Lopburi is the monkeys, the market and a beer by the ruins, and Khao Yai is the wine and bands weekend.
- The old capital: see our Ayutthaya nightlife guide.
- The hills: see our Khao Yai nightlife guide.
- The monkey town: Lopburi for Prang Sam Yot, the market and the Monkey Buffet.
Monkeys and a market? Lopburi. Temples and a band? Ayutthaya.
Lopburi, Ayutthaya or Khao Yai
| Town | Feel |
|---|---|
| Lopburi | Monkeys, the market, the ruins |
| Ayutthaya | Temples and a band |
| Khao Yai | Wine and bands weekend |
What does a Lopburi night cost?
An evening here is one of the cheapest near Bangkok: the temple fee is small, the night market is street-food prices, and watching the Monkey Buffet from the street is free.
A luxury van for up to 4 is from ฿6,500 for 10 hours. The train fare is in our Bangkok to Lopburi guide.
Prang Sam Yot
- Cost:
- A small entry fee at the temple
Night market dinner
- Cost:
- Street-food prices
Monkey Buffet Festival
- Cost:
- Free from the street
Bangkok to Lopburi train
- Cost:
- See our Bangkok to Lopburi guide
Stay over, or drive back to Bangkok?
The evening ends early, and the last trains to Bangkok leave in the early evening, so a group either stays the night or books a car home.
It's about 2 hours by road to Bangkok, so a van home is the easy end to the evening.
Your van home is booked before the last train leaves.
After Lopburi: Ayutthaya or Khao Yai
From Lopburi, the group has three easy moves: south to Ayutthaya, east to Khao Yai, or back to Bangkok.
- Bangkok to Lopburi: the train, the minivan and your own van.
- Ayutthaya nightlife: the old capital on the way home.
- Central Thailand travel guide: Lopburi, Ayutthaya and the towns around them.
Ask Tanner to add Ayutthaya on the drive home.
A weekend in Lopburi, planned
A van from Bangkok on Saturday · the monkeys at Prang Sam Yot at 5pm · dinner at the night market · a beer at Noom's and Come On Bar · the sunflower fields on Sunday morning, or the Monkey Buffet on 29 November.
Plan it with Tanner, and he books the van from Bangkok, the hotel and the Monkey Buffet day.
Lopburi nightlife in short
- Lopburi is about 2 hours from Bangkok by road.
- The evening: the monkeys at Prang Sam Yot before 6pm, the Na Sanprakan night market, then a beer by the ruins.
- Prang Sam Yot closes at 6pm; published opening days differ, so Tanner checks them for your date.
- The Monkey Buffet is on Sunday 29 November 2026, from about 10am, and free to watch from the street.
- The last trains to Bangkok leave early, so stay over or take the van home.
- This Lopburi nightlife guide is for a small, fun evening; for a bigger one, see Ayutthaya.
Checked November 2026.
Written by Tanner Altman · Updated 7 November 2026
Questions
Lopburi questions
What is Lopburi nightlife like?
Small and relaxed: a daily night market, a Wednesday walking street, and a few traveller bars by the ruins. There are no clubs; for a bigger night, go to Ayutthaya or Bangkok.
When is the Lopburi Monkey Buffet Festival in 2026?
Sunday 29 November 2026, the last Sunday of November, at Prang Sam Yot, from about 10am. It's free to watch from the street; arrive by 9am for a good spot.
Where is the Lopburi night market?
On Na Sanprakan Street in the old town, every day from about 4pm until the stalls wind down around 9pm. A Walking Street Market with clothes and local food runs every Wednesday.
What are the bars in Lopburi?
Noom's on Phaya Kamjad Road for draft Chang, Come On Bar by Wat Phra Sri Mahathat, and Budsi's on Ratchadamnoen Soi 1, all in the old town.
When are the Lopburi sunflower fields in bloom?
From November to January. The fields are about 40 kilometres from town, so go with a car, check the bloom before you leave, and pair it with a Sunday morning after a night in town.
Is Lopburi worth a night?
Yes, if the group wants something different: monkeys at sunset, a cheap market dinner and a beer by the ruins. The last trains to Bangkok leave early, so staying over or booking a car is easier.
How far is Lopburi from Bangkok?
About 2 to 3 hours by train from Krung Thep Aphiwat, or about 2 hours by car. A van is the easy way for a group.
Are the Lopburi monkeys dangerous?
They grab bags, glasses and food, and they can scratch. Keep your things out of reach and close your bags; if one scratches you, clean it and see a doctor.
Plan it
Plan it with Tanner
Are you in Thailand now?
Sources
- PRD: Military Sunflower Field, Lopburi (Jan 2026)
- TAT: Tourist Police 1155
- Tourism Authority of Thailand: 10 things to do in Lop Buri (Phra Prang Sam Yot; checked November 2026)
- Office of the Prime Minister: notice on days alcohol may not be sold, B.E. 2568 (signed 7 May 2025; Department of Disease Control copy; checked November 2026)
Credits: top photo AI-generated image.