THAILAND-MONKEY FESTIVAL Monkeys feast on fruits and vegetables at Thailand festival

Record ID: 809018

  • Title: THAILAND-MONKEY FESTIVAL Monkeys feast on fruits and vegetables at Thailand festival
  • Date: 30th November 2014
  • Summary: MONKEYS JUMPING ON TABLE/EATING EVENT ORGANIZER YONGYUTH KITWATANANUSONT (YELLOW SUIT) WATCHING MONKEYS EATING VARIOUS OF MONKEYS EATING MONKEY CARRYING BABY MONKEY EATING VARIOUS OF MONKEY EATING (SOUNDBITE)(Thai) 32-YEAR-OLD AMERICAN TOURIST, ELANA SABOLCH, SAYING: "I think there's a lot of monkey business going on here today. I'm not sure how many they are but there are
  • Embargoed: 15th December 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Thailand
  • Country: Thailand
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA7IO1OFATL43PBF7O9WVMJM7XT
  • Story Text: Thousands of macaques in Thailand's Lopburi province were treated to a feast on Sunday (November 30),
    Trays of vegetables, fruits and desserts created especially for them were laid out in Prang Sam Yot, an ancient ruin, and on the side of the road in downtown Lopburi where they have lived for decades.
    Hundreds of monkeys pushed and shoved, fighting to get to the treats.
    "I think there's a lot of monkey business going on here today. I'm not sure how many they are but
    there are a lot and they're hungry," said American tourist Elana Sabolch, 32.
    The annual event, held on the last Sunday in November, is sponsored by local business owners who believe monkeys bring good fortune and prosperity to Lopburi.
    It was first held in 1989 as a way to attract more tourists to the temples which date back to the 10th century.
    "This year I spent 400,000 baht (12,183 USD) for food. We used two tones of fruits and nearly a ton of vegetables.
    Total of around 2.5 tons," said Yongyuth Kitwatananusont, banquet organizer and a Lopburi hotelier.
    There are four sittings at the buffet so that all the monkeys in the town can get their fill, and so that all tourists can have the opportunity to watch them dine in style.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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