The Monkey Buffet Festival is an annual celebration held in the ancient Thai city of Lopburi, located about 150 kilometers north of Bangkok. On the last Sunday of November, thousands of long-tailed macaques gather around historic temple ruins to enjoy a massive public feast.
During the event, banquet tables are loaded with over 4,000 kilograms of fresh tropical fruits, vegetables, sticky rice, and traditional Thai sweets. Hungry macaques feast on watermelons, pineapples, and durians while guzzling cans of soda and fruit juice. The spread often features elaborate food towers and giant ice blocks containing frozen fruit salads.
This grand buffet is organized as a token of gratitude to the local monkeys for attracting international tourists to Lopburi Province. In local tradition, feeding these primates is also believed to bring good fortune, prosperity, and spiritual merit to the community. Residents view the animals as cherished neighbors rather than simple pests.
The celebration creates a festive atmosphere complete with traditional music, dancing, and colorful monkey sculptures. Thousands of spectators gather to take photos as curious macaques climb over table settings and ancient stone structures.
History and Legends Behind the Feast
Lopburi boasts a rich history stretching back thousands of years, with deep ties to the ancient Ramakien epic. According to local lore, the deity Lord Rama built ancient Lopburi with the help of the monkey god Hanuman. Because of this legend, residents have long respected the local macaques as sacred representatives or descendants of Hanuman.
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As modern urban areas expanded, macaques adapted by making their home around ancient shrines like Phra Prang Sam Yot. The official festival was later established in 1989 by a local hotel owner named Yongyuth Kitwatananusont. He launched the first banquet alongside tourism authorities to boost local travel and thank the monkeys for supporting the economy.
What began as a novel idea quickly gained global media attention and became a staple in Thailand's event calendar. Photos of macaques eating atop historical ruins draw crowds from every corner of the world. Decades later, the tradition continues to honor the long relationship between the city's human and animal residents.
What Happens During the Celebration
Preparations begin days before the event as locals hand out paper invitations tied to cashews to tempt the macaques. On the actual festival day, banquet tables are set up right outside the 13th-century Phra Prang Sam Yot shrine. The feast is served four separate times throughout the day, starting at 10:00 a.m..
Lively opening ceremonies feature dancers dressed in full monkey costumes performing to rhythmic traditional music. These performances catch the attention of the macaques and signal that the feast is about to begin. Shortly after speeches, organizers officially invite the hungry primates to take their seats at the tables.
Hundreds of monkeys descend from temple walls, swarming over table settings to grab corn, watermelon, and egg-yolk desserts. Controlled chaos follows as macaques squabble over treats and leap across tablecloths. Bold primates frequently climb onto visitors, jump on parked vehicles, or snatch sunglasses directly off spectators.
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Chefs and volunteers spend significant time designing towering fruit displays that can cost well over 100,000 Thai baht. Human visitors can also enjoy street food stalls selling salted eggs coated in clay and sweet coconut jelly over crushed ice. Many tourists even wear playful monkey outfits or themed hats to match the festive mood.
Lopburi's macaque population has grown to several thousand animals living directly within the city center. During pandemic travel stops, hungry monkey troops famously brawled in public streets over scarce food handouts. To balance urban life, city authorities have since stepped up sterilization efforts to control the population while preserving the festival tradition.
