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ThailandDescription and is it worth a visit
Despite the presence of the traditional Thai word Wat in the name of this temple, in fact San Paolo or Wat San Paolo is not a Buddhist temple at all, but, surprisingly, an ancient Christian Catholic one. It was built between 1685 and 1687 by a group of 12 Jesuit priests who arrived in Siam during the reign of King Narai the Great.
The land for the construction of the temple was donated to them by the king himself. But interestingly, as archaeological excavations have shown, an observatory was located in part of this temple, presumably the very first on the lands of modern Thailand.
Today the temple is a ruin, in which, by and large, only the foundation and part of the observatory have been preserved. However, they are not abandoned and forgotten, but just the opposite. They have been given the status of a historical monument, they are being cared for, the territory is kept clean and tidy. You can visit this attraction of Lopburi for free, and it will not be difficult to get to it from anywhere in the old town on foot.
🕐 Working hours
Officially, this monument is open from 09:00 to 17:00, in practice you can visit it at any time.
💵Entrance fee / ticket price
Free of charge.
🚶 How to get there
The Church of San Paolo is located outside the old town, but relatively close to the railway station on Ram Decho Street among residential buildings (San Paolo on the map). It will not be difficult to get here on foot, for example, it takes only 10 minutes to walk from the railway station. You can go around the street, but it's easier to walk from the station along the railway tracks to the railway crossing, and then turn onto the desired street.
Friends, we remind you that it is much more interesting to get acquainted with the sights of Thailand with the help of excursions, and therefore we advise you to look at options with online booking and reviews on these excursion aggregators: