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

Reading Time:1 minute

Macaques climb onto a tourist during Thailand’s resumed Monkey Festival. Photo: Chalinee Thirasupa / Reuters

Published: 7:30pm, 28 Nov 2021Updated: 7:57pm, 28 Nov 2021

Watched by tourists and locals, thousands of monkeys in Lopburi in central Thailand feasted on two tonnes of fruit and vegetables after the town’s Monkey Festival resumed following a two year hiatus caused by the pandemic.

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.

Monkeys enjoying fruit during the return of Thailand’s annual Monkey Festival. Photo: Jiraporn Kuhakan / Reuters

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.

Macaques clamber onto a news photographer during the Monkey Festival in Lopburi province. Photo: Jack Taylor / AFP)

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.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x