MONKEY BUFFET FESTIVAL 2014

The Monkey Buffet Festival is quite an unique Festival in the very cultural country of
Thailand. Set up in the province of Lopburi, North of Bangkok, the Monkey Buffet
Festival is held for the benefit of the monkeys. 4000 kilograms of fruits, vegetables,
cakes, candies is set down in front of temples on tables, in pyramid or just on a simple
mat for the delight of the 3000 monkeys living in the area.
The Monkey Buffet Festival also host plenty of activities in relation with monkeys:
music and dances with young people dress like monkeys, monkeys costumes, monkey
masks... Monkey sculptures will also flourish around the area.
The Festival was invented in 1989 by a local business man in order to boost the
tourism in the Lopburi province. Since thousand of visitors come every year to see the
numerous monkeys filling they stomachs.
The temples where the festival is held have been build in the 10th century by the
Khmer dynasty with a similar architecture from Cambodia’s Angkor Wat. Now, they
belong to the Monkey territory.
A word of wisdom: these monkey are very accustomed to human presence and they
won't hesitate a second to climb on people and "borrow" valuable or food for an
undefined period of time.
The monkey buffet festival is a celebration that takes place in Thailand and it´s
held every November 25th. The local peoples believe that monkey´s bring good fortune
to the visitors. It has been held done since 1989, and it main public are the tourist from
different parts, which offers proximally 4000 kilograms of food and drinks every year. It
has also representative music and dances and different activities throw-out the day
with young people dress like monkeys, as a shown of thanks because of they great
value. As well it has become a very important colorful tradition to the Thailand people
because the meaning of the monkeys, and the worth goals.
The monkey feast is the ingenious concept of a hotelier, Yongyuth
Kitwattananusont, who first feted the monkeys in 1989. Now, with the sponsorship of
Thailand’s Tourism Authority, his spectacle attracts thousands of tourists. Yongyuth
attempts to outdo himself each year. He once stuffed himself into a monkey suit and
arrived via parachute. The November of 1999, he promises to up last year’s offering:
4,000 kilograms of food. A longstanding second-tier tourist draw, Lop Buri is the site of
10th-century Hindu temples built by a Khmer dynasty. The main temple, strongly
resembling the architecture of Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, is headquarters for the
macaques.
As the name of the festival itself indicates, this is a festival where the monkeys
along with the food are the protagonists. In Thailand, there is the belief that King Rama
gave a piece of land known as Lopburi to Hanuman who was the Monkey King. For
that reason, nearly 2000 monkeys each year receive thousands of pounds of food (like
fruits and desserts) in a big table where public enjoy seeing them. People from
Thailand also believe, thanks to their history, that monkeys bring good fortune so this is
also made in their honor. Besides of being a local celebration, the monkeys attract a lot
of tourists and the country receives benefits with the visits.
In this festival the ones who enjoy the buffet are the monkeys them self. They
enjoy with a large buffet of food, ranging from sweet desserts to fruits, vegetables, and
sodas. In the monkey buffet you can watch the monkeys drink coke directly from the
can. In the past years the monkeys have consumed over four tons of food, not many
people are agree with the type of diet that this monkeys have on this event, but what it
is a fact is that this animals certainly enjoy their annual special meal. This bunch of
things make this festival a colorful and a very happy event, it has a variety of delicious
odors, and a very beautiful, green landscape, that is why it is recommendable for any
kind of people, it doesn’t matter you will have a pretty good time and you will enjoy your
stance in here every minute.

The annual Monkey Buffet Festival in Thailand

When Is Monkey Buffet Festival 2013 in Thailand? Monkey Buffet Festival falls on
November 25th, 2013. For a fun festival with a difference, and one that is unique to
Thailand, why not visit the ancient town of Lopburi in November when it holds the
annual Monkey Buffet Festival? And yes, you’re quite right in what you’re thinking: a
Monkey Buffet Festival is exactly what it sounds like!
Let’s start off with a little history about Lopburi before we get on to its most famous
residents though. Lopburi is the capital of Lopburi province and is situated about 180
kilometers (approximately 111 miles) north east of the Thai capital, Bangkok. It is one
of the oldest settlements in Thailand and it is said that the town was founded over 1000
years ago by King Kalavarnadish who came from a region in Northwest India – now
modern day Pakistan. When the Kingdom of Ayutthaya was established in the
fourteenth century Lopburi became a stronghold of Ayutthaya’s rulers and was
designated the royal capital during the reign of King Narai the Great during the middle
part of the 17th century. King Narai would thenceforth stay in Lopburi for around eight
months of the year.
These days, however, Lopburi is not so much a royal capital but the home to hoards of
monkeys – correctly known as Crab-Eating Macaques or Long Tailed Macaques. It
probably comes as no great surprise to learn that this particular breed of monkey has
both a long tail (typically longer than its body) and also likes crabs! A regular sized
adult is 38 to 55cm long with comparatively short arms and legs however its tail is
typically 40 to 65cm. The male macaques are a lot larger than the females, weighing in
at around 5 to 9 kilograms whilst the females weigh approximately 3 to 6 kg.
Crab Eating Macaques are found across Southeast Asia where they live in groups of
up to twenty female monkeys, their offspring, and any number of males, although each
group normally contains less males than females: for these monkeys, the female is the
boss! Despite the name, the monkeys do not live purely on a diet of crab, in fact it’s not
even their main source of food and they exist by living on a range of different plants
and animals. It seems that the Crab Eating Macaque is not a fussy eater as although
90% of their diet consists of seeds and fruit, they are also more than happy to eat
virtually anything they can get their paws on including flowers, leaves, roots and even
tree bark. They will also occasionally add some meat to their diet by feasting on baby
birds, nesting female birds and their eggs plus lizards, frogs and fish.
Having said all that, the monkeys of Lopburi have co-existed alongside humans for so
long now that they’re not afraid of, or averse to, snatching tuna sandwiches or a paw
full of noodles from the plates of people dining al fresco either! The locals actually
regard the monkeys as somewhat of a nuisance – there are over 3000 of them living
downtown side by side with the town’s human residents – but they are undeniably a
good source of income as they do bring in the tourist trade.
Although the Kingdom of Thailand is overwhelmingly Buddhist (around 95% of Thai
people define themselves as Buddhists) the monkeys have a history which is rooted in
Hinduism. In the 10th century the Khmer Dynasty built many Hindu temples, and if you
have been to Cambodia and visited Angkor Wat you will recognize the style of
architecture as being very similar. These temples are in the Old Town of Lopburi and
make for some fascinating visits, as well as being excellent photo opportunities,
particularly as this is where the Macaques have set up their headquarters, roaming the
grounds and clambering over the ancient temples as is their want.
So why are the monkeys of Lopburi not driven out of town and tolerated by the locals?
It all dates back to the Ramayana, the ancient Sanskrit tale which is attributed to the
Hindu sage Valmiki. In this epic story, which is seen as one of the two great canons of
India, a heroic monkey with human traits named Hanuman helped rescue a bride to be
from a 10 headed demon and it is believed today that Hanuman founded Lopburi and
that the monkey residents of the town are direct descendants of his bloodline. Whether
it’s true or not or if it just makes for a quirky and interesting background to entice the
tourists, we will never know. Having said that, even though the monks and practicing
Buddhists of Lopburi are not, of course, followers of Hinduism, they do regard tending
to and feeding the monkeys as a merit making activity and take care of them (or at
least do their best not to be too angry with them when they have their mobile phones
stolen by them!) accordingly.
So, this brings us to the Monkey Buffet Festival and it’s whys, what’s and wherefores.
Despite the monkeys’ illustrious and ancient connections with the town, the Monkey
Buffet is actually a pretty new tradition and one that was actually conjured up by a local
business man with an eye on attracting tourists to the otherwise sleepy town. Lopburi’s
convenient location in regards to Bangkok makes it ideal for a weekend or overnight
stay either from the city, if passing through on the way to the Northeast region of Isan,
or as a detour when heading to Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai in the North.
So, who is the genius behind the annual Monkey Buffet Festival? For this we have a
man by the name of Yongyuth Kitwattananusont to thank. Back in 1989
Kitwattananusont, a hotelier by trade, gained sponsorship and assistance from TAT –
the Tourism Authority of Thailand – to launch his inaugural festival for the benefit of the
monkeys’ stomachs, the town’s peoples’ wallets and the tourists’ holiday memories.
Now the festival pulls in thousands of visitors every year bringing in much welcome
income for Lopburi’s restaurants and hotels.
Khun Yongyuth also takes great enjoyment from the festival and he attempts to make
each year a bigger and better spectacle from the previous one. One year saw him
dressing up in a monkey costume and floating into the festival by parachute while in
2013, he aims to increase the already magnificent buffet by offering those cheeky
monkeys over 4,000 kilograms worth of food!
And boy do those monkeys make the most of their buffet; they don’t care whether it’s
good for the town’s collective bank balances or if it gives the tourists great photos to
take home and share with their friends and family on Facebook or Twitter – they’re just
happy to be able to gorge themselves and fill their furry stomachs to such excess one
day a year. They’re probably also quite fond of the added opportunity to be able to grab
some extra cameras or bags from unsuspecting tourists too! You have to wonder what
these kleptomaniac monkeys do with all the things that they steal; do they store them
all somewhere? Do they use them to trade with other monkeys? Have they secretly
mastered how to take photos of their babies and upload them to Instagram?!
Regardless, the annual Monkey Buffet Festival is something that is surely looked
forward to by Lopburi’s simian residents all year long. The buffet takes place in
November and although dates can change from year to year, in 2013 it will be held on
the 25th, which is a Monday. So what happens at the festival and where are the best
spots for monkey picnic watching?
The Monkey Buffet takes place in the overgrown and ruined Khmer temple of Pra
Prang Sam Yot where the majority of the monkeys live. But this is not just any old
animal feeding time with fruit scattered on the ground; the monkeys are treated with
reverence and respect and are even cordially invited to attend their feast with
invitations that are attached to cashew nuts and distributed to the guests of honour. In
fact this is a banquet worthy of a five star hotel as actual chefs lovingly spend hours
preparing the food (which will be devoured in no time at all by the ungrateful diners!)
The buffet is vegetarian: no baby bird or frogs here, thank you very much, and consists
of fruit salads, sticky white rice and a traditional Thai desert called Thong yod, which
means golden teardrop, and is made from egg yolk. Thong yod is reputedly difficult to
make as it is hard to create the teardrop shape required, and it is also served at
auspicious ceremonies, indicating that no time or expense is spared when it comes to
honouring Lopburi’s most revered residents.
Endless oceans of bananas, mangos, dragon fruits, apples, pineapples, durians and all
the other tropical fruits you can think of are spread out for the Macaques to feast upon.
Some fruit will be encased in blocks of ice which the monkeys will lick in frustration, not
being able to contain themselves and wait for the ice to melt. A perfect picture
opportunity if you can catch one in action.
The buffet is served on long tables covered with crisp red table cloths – which don’t
stay clean for long. Once the meal has been laid out it doesn’t take too long for the
monkeys to make themselves completely at home and these distinctly badly behaved
hairy individuals waste no time in stuffing themselves senseless then dancing on the
tables, throwing leftover food and drink at each other and the watching tourists, and
generally indulging in the type of behavior that would see them being swiftly thrown out
of, and handed a lifetime ban, from the Hilton! It’s all for the tourists though and the bad
behavior of the monkeys is delighted in by the camera wielding masses.
It is precisely this bad attitude and over familiarity with humans that drives the people of
Lopburi somewhat crazy however and visitors to the town, whether during the festival
or not, should be warned that these furry fiends are not backwards when it comes to
being forwards and making a nuisance of themselves is practically their raison d’etre!
Just wandering around town can be a hazardous occupation and you will need to keep
an eye on your belongings pretty much all the time. Daylight robbery is a common
occurrence and the monkeys are always on the lookout for an opportunity to add to
their collection of stolen swag, so keep a firm hold of mobile phones, cameras,
handbags and purses and anything else you value and don’t particularly want to donate
to Lopburi’s hairy community.
It’s not just criminal acts that can be a problem however; some of the monkeys’
behavior can be downright anti-social too. They hang out along roof tops and telegraph
wires, occasionally defecating on unsuspecting pedestrians, jumping on the backs of
passersby and pulling their hair and indulging in, let’s just call it extreme displays of
public affection, if you catch my meaning! As mentioned, providing you aren’t a victim
of monkey robbery, this can all be very amusing and does make for some great photos
and tales to tell back home, but the (human) locals are not quite so enamored of their
neighbours’ exploits, despite the money they are responsible for bringing into the town.
It’s somewhat of a simian swings and roundabouts situation.
Once the Monkey Buffet Festival is over, if you’re looking for a quiet, chilled out place
to stay for a day or two, Lopburi makes a pleasant enough, low key place to relax and,
Monkey Buffet aside, one that’s not really on the tourist trail. It’s a small town and is
easy to walk around and is fairly interesting from the vantage point of seeing a typical
Thai town go about its day to day business, albeit it a town with a historic past. Anyone
interested in the ancient empires of the Kingdom might find Lopburi interesting. Of
course there are the Khmer temple ruins – Prang Khaek (Shiva Shrine), San Phra Kan
(Kala Shrine), Prang Sam Yot (Three Spired Shrine) and the tower at Wat Phra Si
Ratana Mahathat to visit but the Dvaravati, Sukhothai and Ayuthaya empires all also
established their administrative centres here at various points in the past.
If you’re tempted by the mixture of ancient ruins and appallingly behaved Macaques,
Lopburi is quick and easy to get to from Bangkok and other points across the country.
Here’s how:
Frequent buses leave Bangkok’s North and Northeastern (Mo Chit) bus station and
take around three and a half hours to arrive at Lopburi’s bus station which is on
Naresuan Road, approximately 2km outside of the Old Town.
It is also easy to take the train. Whether coming from the north and from the direction of
Ayuthaya, or from the south and Bangkok, you’ll arrive at Lopburi’s train station on Na
Phra Kan Road which is handily located within walking distance to the historic sites and
to hotels and guest houses. If you only want to stop off for half a day or so, the station
will let you store your baggage there.
In Thailand there are several choices of trains, ordinary, rapid and express, so make
sure you know which one you’re getting if time is of the essence for you. Different trains
cost different amounts, with the ordinary being the cheapest. If departing from
Bangkok, take the train from the main Hualamphong station; there are a number of
departures to Lopburi throughout the day and night. The rapid and express trains take
approximately three hours and the ordinary trains about four and a half hours.
Whether you go to Lopburi to see the ancient ruins or especially for the Monkey Buffet
Festival you’re sure to have unforgettable time in this laid back monkey paradise!