San Phra Kan

San Phra Kan is a revered historic shrine in central Lopburi town, Tha Hin Subdistrict, Mueang Lopburi District. Built on an ancient Khmer laterite prang, it enshrines the four-armed Vishnu image known as Phra Kan, regarded as the guardian spirit of Lopburi. Located opposite Phra Prang Sam Yot on Vichayen Road, it is notable for its Khmer architecture, cultural reverence, and large population of resident long-tailed macaques.

Visitors can expect a small elevated shrine complex centered on a Khmer-style laterite prang and a modern shrine building housing the Phra Kan image. The site is set at a busy road junction in old Lopburi, surrounded by stalls selling offerings, with open courtyard areas where long-tailed macaques roam freely. Visitors can observe worshippers making offerings, view Khmer architectural details, and explore the immediate shrine grounds.

San Phra Kan is built on an ancient Khmer shrine from the Lopburi (Lavo) period, when the area was under Angkor influence. The laterite prang dates to the 11th-12th century. During the Ayutthaya period, King Narai (reigned 1656-1688), who made Lopburi his second capital, restored the site and added the small shrine that houses the Phra Kan image, a four-armed Vishnu figure of Lopburi art style.

The shrine is highly revered as the spiritual guardian shrine of Lopburi city. Both Thai Buddhists and Hindu-influenced worshippers pay respect to Phra Kan for protection and good fortune, offering flowers, garlands and fruits. It is a central symbol of Lopburi's identity and is closely associated with the city's famous macaque population, which is considered to be under the deity's protection.