Lopburi Monkey Festival 2019: A buffet of monkeys in Thailand

Lopburi is one of the first cities built in Thailand. It contains impressive ruins and other beautiful sights such as King Naray's Lopburi Palace and Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahathat Temple, making it a gem in many ways.

Most often, this goes unnoticed when travelers build their itineraries, especially since among ordinary cities, tourists come to Thailand for entertainment. However, all this changes once a year during the famous Lopburi Monkey Festival.

Lopburi Monkey Festival 2019

November 23, 2019 - November 24, 2019 (Saturday-Sunday).

Location of the Monkey Festival:

Temples of San Phra Kan and Phra Prang Sam Yot.

What is Lopburi Monkey Festival?

The Lopburi Monkey Festival, sometimes referred to as the Monkey Banquet, is a festival that has been held since the 1980s as the idea of a local businessman.

His idea was to prepare a buffet of fresh fruit and other food for the monkeys (since Lopburi has a large population of monkeys) as an expression of gratitude from the city's residents, as they have brought a lot of tourist income to the area.

The event has grown significantly over the years and thousands of tourists from all over the world come to Lopburi to share the unique experience.

Every year, more than four thousand kilograms of food are served to the monkeys for a feast. No different from a buffet, food is served on long tables and lovingly prepared by teams of local chefs.

Monkeys can enjoy delicious fruit salads, sticky rice, and even some traditional Thai desserts made with egg yolks.

Like any other event in Thailand, food plays a key role in the Lopburi Monkey Festival and many vendors and food stalls offer delicious Thai food that people can also enjoy.

Local food to try during Lopburi Monkey Festival

Khai Khem Din So Phong (Marl Salted Egg) is a famous egg preservation method in Thailand. Raw eggs are coated with a mixture of marl, water, salt and sugar. Once the coating dries, the egg is preserved and can be included in a wide variety of dishes, whether boiled or fried. Many even like to eat Khai Khem Din So Phong by itself.

Coconut jelly is a favorite delicacy of the province, made by fermenting coconut juice with acetic acid, similar to how vinegar is made.

During fermentation, porcini mushrooms float to the top and collect in a group of mushroom jelly. This jelly is usually served over ice and eaten as a dessert. It is often combined with various syrups to add different, exciting flavors.

How to get to Lopburi?

You can get to Lopburi by bus or train. The provincial capital is located in the central part of Thailand and is located 155 kilometers north of Bangkok. The trip by car will take you about 3 hours. Most travelers prefer to travel by rail as there are many breathtaking scenery along the way.

It takes about 2 hours to drive to Hua Lamphong Railway Station, also known as Bangkok Railway Station. Trains leave every hour.

If you want to get to Lopburi by bus, go to Bangkok North Bus Station Mochit 2. The easiest way to get to Mochit 2 is via the BTS Skytrain - get down to Mochit Station and then hail a motorcycle taxi.

A Brief History of the Lopburi Monkeys

Monkeys, mostly long-tailed macaques, have lived in Lopburi since the city was conquered by the Khmers in the 11th century. Many famous buildings were built during this period. When the Khmer empire fell in the 17th century, King Narai of Ayutthaya rejuvenated and modernized the city, but the Khmer ruins remain and are the site of a monkey banquet every year.

Monkeys live around Phra Prang Sam Yot temple and San Phra Karn shrine which are Khmer ruins. However, they can be seen all over Lopburi and do not shy away from interacting with humans. Don't be surprised if a monkey snatches your food right out of your hand!

Monkeys are quite mischievous and often cause damage to the city, for example by chewing on cables. No matter what they do, they are always tolerant as they are said to be descendants of the Monkey King Hanuman.

In the Thai version of the Ramayana (a famous Indian epic), Lopburi was created by Hanuman himself with the help of his friend Lord Rama, the protagonist of the Ramayana. Monkeys are said to bring good luck and prosperity.

Other attractions in Lopburi

If you plan your trip accordingly, you can see the performance of the Lopburi Symphony in the city.

King Narai's Palace, officially called Phra Narai Ratchaniwet, hosts the annual Chom Wang, Fang Dontri (live band concert), which features some exceptionally talented Thai artists, including the National Symphony Orchestra. The festivities begin shortly before sunset and continue until midnight.

You can visit vast fields where hundreds of thousands of sunflowers grow to create an ocean of yellow that seems to last forever. Many farms give tours of their operations by tractor or sometimes by elephant. You can also purchase a wide variety of products made using sunflowers.

Khao Phra Ngam Diamond is very famous in Thailand and can be found in Lopburi. Although it is not a pure diamond, it is made from polished colored quartz crystal and looks just as majestic.

If you want to learn about local livelihoods, you can visit Mu2's copper casting factories and interact with the villagers.

Things to remember:

• The Monkey Festival in Lopburi starts around 9:00 am with an opening ceremony, after which tables are laid for the monkeys.
• 4 separate banquets are held at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00.
• Monkeys can become aggressive when feeding and tend to snatch any food and drink you might be carrying. Also, be careful with your valuables as the monkeys can steal anything from your wallet to glasses.
• The easiest way to get around is by walking, but you can also take city buses for 4 baht per person. Most of the ruins are scattered around the city's old train station.

Lopburi Monkey Festival is an incredibly unique experience. A sea of fun and a great atmosphere make it a must visit if you are in Thailand at the right time.