Prang Sam Yod

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The entrance to Prang Sam Yod, in Lopburi

The entrance to Prang Sam Yod, in Lopburi

Monkeys hanging around the base of the towers

View through the arched opening of the chapel to a Buddha image

Overall view of the three towers

This massive stone sanctuary was founded as a Hindu sanctuary in the thirteenth century by the Khmer King Jayavarman VII, the ruler who built many of Angkor Wat's most famous temples and palaces. Like most of the temples at Angkor, Prang Sam Yod was originally a Hindu temple, with the three stone towers (prangs) representing the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Visnu and Siva. The Thais later converted the shrine to a Buddhist temple when the neighboring kingdom of Ayutthaya rose to power.

While imposing, the temple itself is not particularly elegant or interesting. Most visitors seem to come to see the large troupe of monkeys that now occupies the temple, rather than the building itself. About 100 small long tailed monkeys rule the grounds of the temple, growing fat on the handouts of visitors.

Admission Fee

It costs 50 Baht (1.63 USD) to enter the grounds of Prang Sam Yod.

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