Thailand's Monkey Festival Returns After Two Years, Draws In Tourists
Hundreds of macaques, also known as long-tailed monkeys,
were seen climbing on people and stacks of fruit, munching away on bananas and
pineapples.
Lopburi: Watched by tourists and locals, thousands of
monkeys in Lopburi in central Thailand feasted on two tonnes fruits 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 stacks of fruit, munching away on bananas and
pineapples.
The feast, which cost over 100,000 baht ($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 Kitwatanausont who has
previously organised over 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 ten months combined.
"I'm really happy to get to see this and now I'm
thinking about going to the next festival," said Moroccan tourist Ayoub
Boukhari.
"It's quite unexpected and the monkeys are quite
silly."
Some tourists were seen playing with the monkeys 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."
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