More than just monkeys

When the winter gusts come in, an extensive gold carpet of blossoming sunflowers cover more than 1,000 rai plots of land in the ancient town of Lop Buri, set against a backdrop of mountains that kiss the Sun.

In recent years, this has become a powerful magnet, drawing thousands of tourists to indulge in the beauty of nature, while its historical structures evoking Dvaravati and Khmer influences transport visitors back to the days when Lop Buri served as the Ayutthaya kingdom’s second capital during the reign of King Narai the Great.

Late in the morning, I arrived in tambon Chon Sandet after a 56km drive northwest from downtown Lop Buri, weaving through corn, millet and cassava plantations, which are…