Monkey Banquet Festival in Lopburi

In Lopburi city, monkeys and humans live side by side. The Thai locals go about their normal working day, whilst the monkeys roam the street, buildings, and vehicles.

These macaque monkeys can cause a bit of a nuisance to the locals, but they are seen as good luck, so they are kept fed.

To celebrate their presence in this city, there is a festival held every year in November. This festival is known as the Monkey Banquet Festival.

What happens at the Monkey Festival?

There will be an opening ceremony in the morning run by the founder of the festival, Yongyuth Kitwattananusont. Fruit is then laid out and displayed for the monkeys to feast on.

This feeding will happen again at different times in the day. There will also be other performances happening throughout the day.

Monkeys can jump onto people, but that does not make close contact safe. The CDC advises travellers not to touch or feed monkeys.

Keep your distance when taking photos.

When is Lopburi Monkey Festival?

This festival is held on the last Sunday of November every year. This is the time when tourists and other Thais go to visit Lopburi City, but you can also visit all year round to go hang out with the Macaque monkeys.

If you travel there at a different time in the year, you will not see the banquet festival, but you will get to experience ‘Thailand’s Monkey Town’ when it is less busy and without so many tourists. You will still get to see how the monkeys live amongst the locals and you definitely shouldn’t skip on a visit just because the festival isn’t on.

Where is the festival?

Most of the event occurs around the Phra Prang Sam Yot ruins. Fortunately, this is very near Lopburi train station and there is some cheap accommodation nearby.

Check out our post on Lopburi Province to find out how to get there and where to stay.

A brief history of the Monkey Festival

Many locals believe that the monkeys of Lopburi are descendants of the Monkey God, Hanuman. This belief originates from the story of ‘Ramakien (Ramayana)’.

This is the reason why these macaque monkeys are so tolerated in the city and even cared for.

In 1989, a hotel owner named Yongyuth Kitwattananusont created a festival to pay gratitude to the monkeys and also to bring in more tourism. You will see him opening the festival every year.

It is believed that there are now more than 3000 monkeys living in Lopburi.

A final word of warning

The macaque monkeys are used to being around people, but it is possible for the monkeys to get aggressive when food is involved. They may also try to steal your personal belongings.

If a monkey bites or scratches you, the CDC advises washing the wound immediately with plenty of soap and running water and seeking medical care straight away, even if the wound looks minor.

Do not carry anything loose on you, such a hat or sunglasses, and use a camera with a wrist strap.

You will probably want to have a shower afterward as well!