Koh Sichang (Koh Si Chang, Ko Sichang) is a small island on the eastern coast of the Gulf of Thailand. It is the closest island to Bangkok and can be reached after an hour's drive to Siracha followed by about 45 minutes ferry.
After the foundation of Ayutthaya Kingdom in the fifteenth century, Lopburi was a stronghold of Ayutthaya's rulers.It later became a new royal capital during the reign of King Narai the Great of the Ayutthaya kingdom in the middle of the 17th century, The king stayed here for about eight months a year.
Today the city is most famous for the hundreds of Crab-Eating Macaques (Macaca fascicularis) that live in the middle of the city, especially around the Khmer temple, Prang Sam Yot, and a Khmer shrine, Sarn Phra Karn. They are fed by the local people, especially during the Monkey Festival in November. Because they are not afraid of humans, they steal whatever food they can find from unwary diners.
Prang Sam Yot, originally a Hindu shrine, has three prangs that represent Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva (the Hindu trinity). It was later converted to a Buddhist shrine.
