Thailand’s Monkey Buffet Festival Draws Crowds in Celebration of Wildlife and Culture
Lopburi’s annual feast for macaques highlights local heritage and growing tourism interest in a unique wildlife-oriented event
Each year in the central Thai city of Lopburi, residents and visitors gather to celebrate one of the country’s most distinctive cultural events: the Monkey Buffet Festival.
Held on the last Sunday of November, the festival transforms historic sites such as the ancient Phra Prang Sam Yot temple into lively venues where long-tailed macaque monkeys are honoured with abundant spreads of fruits, vegetables and traditional Thai delicacies.
The event draws thousands of spectators from across Thailand and abroad, combining wildlife spectacle with cultural festivities and local hospitality.
The origins of the festival date back to 1989, when a local hotel owner in Lopburi conceived the idea as both an expression of gratitude toward the resident macaque population and a way to boost tourism.
The event reflects the traditional belief that the monkeys bring good fortune and prosperity to the region and are entwined with the local association to Hanuman, the revered monkey god in the Ramayana epic.
Spectators witness the macaques clamber over towering displays of bananas, watermelons, pineapples, vegetables and sweets, capturing lively interactions against the backdrop of centuries-old Khmer temple ruins.
In recent years, changes in how the festival is organised have emerged in response to concerns over the growing macaque population and its impact on the town.
Local wildlife authorities have implemented sterilisation and relocation campaigns to manage the numbers of monkeys that roam residential and tourist areas, and this has influenced how some aspects of the festival are staged.
During the 2024 edition of the event, for the first time, some of the macaques participating in the buffet were housed within controlled nurseries and enclosures constructed to protect both animals and humans, with tourists invited to observe and serve treats under regulated conditions.
Despite these adjustments, the Monkey Buffet Festival remains a vital fixture on Thailand’s cultural calendar and a testament to Lopburi’s unique relationship with its wildlife.
It continues to draw strong interest from travellers seeking a memorable cultural experience, and plays a significant role in sustaining local tourism and reinforcing community identity around this unusual and spirited celebration of coexistence between people and monkeys.
Held on the last Sunday of November, the festival transforms historic sites such as the ancient Phra Prang Sam Yot temple into lively venues where long-tailed macaque monkeys are honoured with abundant spreads of fruits, vegetables and traditional Thai delicacies.
The event draws thousands of spectators from across Thailand and abroad, combining wildlife spectacle with cultural festivities and local hospitality.
The origins of the festival date back to 1989, when a local hotel owner in Lopburi conceived the idea as both an expression of gratitude toward the resident macaque population and a way to boost tourism.
The event reflects the traditional belief that the monkeys bring good fortune and prosperity to the region and are entwined with the local association to Hanuman, the revered monkey god in the Ramayana epic.
Spectators witness the macaques clamber over towering displays of bananas, watermelons, pineapples, vegetables and sweets, capturing lively interactions against the backdrop of centuries-old Khmer temple ruins.
In recent years, changes in how the festival is organised have emerged in response to concerns over the growing macaque population and its impact on the town.
Local wildlife authorities have implemented sterilisation and relocation campaigns to manage the numbers of monkeys that roam residential and tourist areas, and this has influenced how some aspects of the festival are staged.
During the 2024 edition of the event, for the first time, some of the macaques participating in the buffet were housed within controlled nurseries and enclosures constructed to protect both animals and humans, with tourists invited to observe and serve treats under regulated conditions.
Despite these adjustments, the Monkey Buffet Festival remains a vital fixture on Thailand’s cultural calendar and a testament to Lopburi’s unique relationship with its wildlife.
It continues to draw strong interest from travellers seeking a memorable cultural experience, and plays a significant role in sustaining local tourism and reinforcing community identity around this unusual and spirited celebration of coexistence between people and monkeys.
