- Title: THAILAND: ANNUAL MONKEY PARTY TAKES PLACE IN TEMPLE RUINS
- Date: 30th November 2003
- Summary: (U1) LOPBURI, THAILAND (NOVEMBER 30, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. WIDE OF LOPBURI TEMPLE WITH MONKEYS IN THE FOREGROUND 0.07 2. SLV MAN LAYING OUT FOOD FOR BUFFET 0.12 3. CLOSE OF MONKEYS HUDDLED TOGETHER AND WATCHING/ ONE BABY MONKEY CLINGING ONTO MOTHER 0.20 4. SLV MEN CARRYING TRAYS OF FRUIT AND FOOD 0.26 5. SLV MAN WATCHING MONKEYS WITH TEMPLE RUINS IN BACKGROUND 0.31 6. CLOSE OF MONKEY EATING 0.39 7. SLV PARADE OF PEOPLE DRESSED AS MONKEYS COMING TO OPEN BUFFET 0.47 8. SLV DRUMMERS PARADING PAST 0.52 9. SLV TOWN OFFICIALS RELEASING BALLOONS TO OPEN 15TH MONKEY PARTY / PAN OF BALLOONS FLYING ABOVE RUINS 1.01 10. WIDE OF CROWD GATHERED TO WATCH BUFFET 1.05 11. SLV OF ORGANISER YONGYUTH KITWATANANUSON THROWING OUT FOOD TO ATTRACT MONKEYS 1.09 12. WIDE OF BUFFET TABLE WITH TEMPLE RUINS IN THE BACKGROUND 1.16 13. VARIOUS OF MONKEYS EATING FOOD ON TABLE (2 SHOTS) 1.25 14. WIDE OF CROWD WATCHING 1.29 15. CLOSE OF MONKEY WITH BABY EATING 1.34 16. WIDE/ PAN OF CROWD WATCHING MONKEY PARTY 1.41 17. SCU SOUNDBITE (Thai) ORGANISER YONGYUTH SAYING "In Lopburi, the monkeys make money for everyone. When tourists come to Lopburi, the first thing they want to see is the monkeys. The majority of our income comes from the monkeys." 1.56 18. CLOSE OF MONKEY ON BUFFET TABLE 2.03 19. SLV CROWD WATCHING 2.06 20. SCU SOUND BITE (English) AUSTRALIAN TOURIST NADIA SAYING "Apparently a lot of them like to stay in the cities and jump on cars and smear their excrement, as it says, everywhere. And they seem pretty like, almost domesticated a lot of them and they're not scared of humans at all which, I'm not sure if that's a good thing" 2.20 21. CLOSE OF MONKEY DRINKING FROM PEPSI CAN 2.25 22. CLOSE/ PAN OF MONKEYS SITTING BY STATUE 2.34 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 15th December 2003 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LOPBURI, THAILAND
- Country: Thailand
- Reuters ID: LVABXC6N1EZHJ3TI9EMKPMA0RJS7
- Story Text: Thailand's "monkeytown" throws a feast for its most
well-loved residents at the annual monkey buffet.
Around the ancient ruins in the centre of Lopburi,
approximately 150 km north of Bangkok, the town's famous
monkeys gather to watch the preparations for the annual
feast in their honour.
Monkeys have been living in the one-time royal seat of
Lopburi for centuries -- certainly they arrived in the area
long before the human residents.
Now Lopburi is famous for its 1000-storng population of
'urban monkeys' that have adapted perfectly to town life.
Unafraid of humans and mischievous beyond belief, they
scamper around the ancient ruins and are unafraid of humans.
The town's residents have undeniably benefited living
in Thailand's "Monkeytown" and the thousands of tourists
that visit each week.
As a treat, the monkeys are therefore treated to an
annual feast of their favourite foods.
The feast over 2 tonnes of fruit, vegetables, candy
and even soda drinks cost over 600,000 baht ($15,040) to
prepare and hours to set out, not to mention the
difficulties of keeping naughty younger monkeys away before
the food was ready.
Local hotelier Yonguth Kitwatananuson owes his business
to the monkeys his hotel is decorated with hundreds of
statues of the town's long-tailed residents.
It was Yongyuth who, 15 years ago, decided to organise
the first monkey buffet.
"In Lopburi, the monkeys make money for everyone. When
tourists come to Lopburi, the first thing they want to see
is the monkeys. The majority of our income comes from the
monkeys," he said.
Tourists flock to the town for the event hoping for
the chance to get up close and personal with an animal
usually only seen from afar or in zoos.
But for some the idea of monkeys living in such close
contact with humans is just a little too strange.
"Apparently a lot of them like to stay in the cities
and jump on cars and smear their excrement, as it says,
everywhere. And they seem pretty like, almost domesticated
a lot of them and they're not scared of humans at all
which, I'm not sure if that's a good thing," said
Australian tourist Nadia.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
