Phra Prang Sam Yot is an ancient temple in Lopburi, Thailand, dating back to the 13th century. As well as being a popular tourist attraction and an important historical relic, it is the home of thousands of monkeys. Considered a pest most of the time, once each year they become the guests of honor, with a full festival and a rather impressive monkey banquet.
The first Lopburi Monkey Banquet Festival was held in 1989, and since then it has been held annually on the final Sunday of November. It marks a change of pace to the regular life of the macaques, who more commonly rely on food scraps they’ve snatched from tourists and the generosity of locals.
The temple is now ruins dating back to the 13th century when the area was ruled by the Khmer Empire. After power changed hands in the 17th century, it fell into disrepair, though the ruins remain largely intact.
Such is the prevalence of the macaques in Lopburi, some now refer to it as ‘monkey-town’. The town is located nearly 100 miles from the capital Bangkok, and the monkeys are an attraction as well as the temple. More often than not, however, their influence is disruptive. They are known to chew cables and break telephone lines, amongst other damage, yet humans continue to look after them because they are said to be descendants of Hanuman, the famous Hindu deity who is half-human, half-monkey.
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In the Thai version of Ramayana, the ancient Sanskrit epic integral to Hinduism, the temple in Lopburi was created by the Hanuman and the divine prince Rama. Hanuman’s and the monkeys’ importance grew further still with the story of Sita, Rama’s wife, being captured by an evil lord. Hanuman and his army of macaques are said to have helped rescue Sita, and thousands of years later their importance remains.
This is highlighted in the annual Lopburi Monkey Banquet Festival. There are usually four separate banquets, the first of which begins at 10 am with an opening ceremony, with the ensuing feasts then commencing every two hours until 4 pm. The food consists of towering pyramids of watermelon, pineapple, lettuce, durian and more. In total, there is nearly two tons of grub on offer.
