Thailand’s monkey festival is back as macaques get fruity with delighted tourists
- The popular annual tradition resumes after a two-year hiatus as locals ‘pay’ monkeys with two tonnes of fruit and vegetables to thank them for attracting tourists
- Tourists have been gradually returning to Thailand after the government launched a quarantine-free travel scheme for vaccinated tourists in November
Hundreds of macaques, also known as long-tailed monkeys, were seen climbing on people and up stacks of fruit, munching away on bananas and pineapples.
The feast, which cost over 100,000 baht (US$3,000), is an annual tradition for locals to thank the monkeys for doing their part in drawing in tourists to Lopburi, which is sometimes known as “Monkey Province”.
“Today’s special is durian, which is expensive. Lopburi monkeys like expensive things,” said Yongyuth Kitwatananusont, who has previously organised more than 30 monkey festivals.
The theme for this year’s festival was wheelchair monkeys, and Yongyuth planned to donate 100 wheelchairs to needy people.
Tourists have been gradually returning to Thailand after the government launched a quarantine-free travel scheme for vaccinated tourists in November, and the festival proved a popular draw.
Thailand saw more than 100,000 inbound travellers in November, as high as the number of arrivals in the first 10 months combined.
“I’m really happy to get to see this and now I’m thinking about going to the next festival,” Moroccan tourist Ayoub Boukhari said. “It’s quite unexpected and the monkeys are quite silly.”
Some tourists were seen playing with the monkeys who were fascinated with their cameras.
The resumption of the tradition also pleased locals.
“It’s the first time in two years that monkeys get to eat all kinds of fruits and vegetables,” said Thanida Phudjeeb. “I’m happy for them.”
