Thailand’s monkey feast pageant in Lopburi attracts raucous crowd

Thailand’s monkey feast pageant in Lopburi is certainly not to everyone’s style however it definitely attracts a raucous crowd.
A banquet fit for the Monkey King was laid before Lopburi’s massed monkeys on Sunday – the last in November – at the annual simian celebration in central Thailand.
Lopburi is probably certainly one of the oldest cities in Thailand, home to King Narai’s Palace and Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahathat. A visit to Lopburi is commonly a great way to get off the standard vacationer path of Thai cities.
Some four,500 crab-eating macaques roam the streets across the crumbling Khmer-style Phra Prang Sam Yod — monkey temple — in the metropolis centre. Today the macaques throng around the temple, boisterous, and at times preventing with one another, however there is a feeling of restraint earlier than the battle of the buffet begins.
As the fastidiously ready feast is brought to the temple, they begin to pounce and are quickly gobbling up the largely vegetarian spread like… properly, like monkeys at a feast.
Yongyuth Kitwatanusont, the festival’s founder, defined what was behind the slap-up meal…
“This monkey feast competition helps promote Lopburi’s tourism among international vacationers every year.
“Previously, there were around Elementary in Lopburi before growing to just about 4,000 these days. Lopburi is called a monkey city, which suggests monkeys and folks can stay in concord.”
Harmony? Maybe. Peace and harmony? Definitely not. The disorderly crowd assail and assault guests, occupying vehicles, lampposts and anywhere else that a monkey can hang. While the monkeys themselves are clean and well-groomed for the event, they have, at present at least, little or no regard for his or her environment and the mess is gigantic.
This year’s occasion is quieter than previous years, and the gang is essentially Thai. Pre-covid, monkey participation had decreased because of excessive numbers of vacationers, which put them off their dinner.
“There was a monkey on my again as I was attempting to take a selfie. He grabbed the sun shades proper off my face and ran off onto the highest of a lamppost and was attempting to eat them for some time,” said Stewart Diamond, a vacationer visiting Thailand’s monkey feast pageant from Hartlepool in Great Britain.

The risk of petty theft – or pretty severe theft considering the number of iPhones and designer sunglasses on display – is appreciable. But telling the story of how “the monkey stole my camera” at the office next week seems to be enough to compensate the few who lose stuff. Generally, monkeys may be bribed to return their swag, however at present they are not looking for food, so thefts are restricted.
The festival is an annual tradition in Lopburi, the provincial capital, and is a approach to show gratitude to the monkeys for bringing in tourists..