The annual festival takes place on the last weekend in November and is a major attraction for locals and foreign visitors alike. Festivities include a monkey ‘tea party’ where macaques tuck into a spread of fruit, eggs, cucumbers and bananas all prepared in their honour. Last year the monkeys got through around 2,000 kilograms of food provided by locals who believe donating the food will bring them good fortune.
Lopburi is a 3-hour train ride from Bangkok via Ayutthaya and the festivities are centred around Prang Sam Yot, a Khmer temple north of the train station. Entrance is 30 Baht and you are given a stick that will help you ward off over inquisitive monkeys.
One of the strangest and certainly hairiest festivals in Thailand – the annual Lopburi Monkey Festival will take place on 25 November 2013.
Located about 140km north of Bangkok, the city has long been an important strategic location for various tribes and kingdoms over the past 1,000 years or so. However, these days the town is more famous for its large population of monkeys – specifically, the long-tailed macaque – which are closely identified with the city and can be seen climbing temples, bathing in the river, and scavenging for food throughout the area.
In 1989, a local businessman came up with the idea of organizing an event around the monkeys to bring in tourists and celebrate the town’s most visible natural asset, and the Lopburi Monkey Festival was born. In the 23 years since, it has grown into a major annual event, and this year will provide over 4,000 kg of food for the 3,000 odd monkeys that inhabit the city!
The festival is centered around the ancient Khmer temple of Phra Prang Sam Yot, where tables of fruit, plates of rice, and bowls of sweet Thai desserts are laid out in a huge expanse of color. The monkeys – watching curiously from high up in the trees and temple – eventually realize that all of this is for them, and they descend to get a closer look. Scampering across the tables, they stuff as much into their mouths as possible, jumping around excitedly at the sudden bonanza. And if you’re wondering what they have to drink, don’t worry – giant blocks of ice are also provided, which the monkeys slowly destroy in their efforts to get the treats that have been frozen in the center.
There are endless photo opportunities and it’s a rare occurrence to be able to see so many monkeys up close. However, please keep in mind that no matter how friendly they seem, they are still wild monkeys. They’re fast, they’re strong, and they’re mischievous, and have been known to grab phones, cameras, wallets and more, scampering up a building, never to be seen again. Be mindful of straps and especially of any food – just because there’s a whole table of fruit behind them doesn’t mean they won’t try and grab your ice cream.
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