The Monkey Buffet Festival is held annually in Lopburi (map). The provincial capital of Lopburi is located in central Thailand. It is about 155 kilometers north of Bangkok, and it takes about three hours to drive there from the city.

Visitors of Lopburi may feel like they have stepped right into the filming of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The festival was described as one of the strangest festivals by London’s Guardian newspaper along with Spain’s baby-jumping festival.

The exact date of the monkey festival has yet to be determined. It usually occurs on the last Sunday of November.

Visiting Lopburi is often left off many traveler’s itineraries, being that it is off the usual trail of cities that lure tourists to Thailand in the first place. It is one of the oldest cities in Thailand, founded by King Kalavarnadish over a thousand years ago.

Visitors can get to Lopburi by either bus or train. Many prefer taking the railway to get to this historic city, as the journey provides for some pretty stunning scenery along the way. By train, the journey to Lopburi takes about two hours.

The train station is found at Hua Lamphong Railway Station (map). Trains leave about every hour. Tickets are fairly affordable, though the price does differ depending on the train and the seat visitors get. Some trains are faster than others, as well.

Visitors of the festival can also get to Lopburi by bus from the northern bus terminal in Bangkok, otherwise known at Mochit 2 (map).

Tuk-tuks are a popular mode of transport in Thailand, especially in urban areas. They are three-wheeled motorized vehicles that can be hailed on the street for short trips.

BUS: Transport Co., Ltd. (Public Bus Services) intercity bus services in Thailand. + Green Bus Corporation • Nakhonchaiair Co., Ltd. • Phetprasert • Sombat Tour Co., Ltd.

BAOLAU.com – Whether you travel by air, rail, land or sea, you can find all the information to plan your journey through Asia here.

TRAIN: State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has a 4,000-km network covering most of the country, from Chiang Mai in the north all the way to (and beyond) the Malaysian border in the south. Compared to buses, most trains are relatively slow and prone to delays, but safer. Tickets may be purchased on-line from Thairailwayticket.com.

AIRPORT: Airports of Thailand: The official website of AOT provides information on airports in Thailand.

Bangkok has two major airports: Suvarnabhumi Airport which is the main airport and serves most full-service carriers, and the smaller Don Mueang International Airport which primarily serves low-cost carriers.

FERRY: Chao Phraya Express Boat Co.,Ltd | river transport in Bangkok.

A city in Thailand laid out plates of fruits, desserts and vegetables on Sunday for thousands of monkeys as a token of appreciation for attracting foreign tourists to the city after a pandemic-induced lull.

Led by businessman Yongyuth Kitwattananusorn, workers and tourists dished out two tons of fruit and vegetables worth over 100,000 baht ($2,801.91) at the annual buffet for about 4000 macaques living on the streets and inside the Phra Prang Sam Yod temple complex in downtown Lopburi. The hungry macaques were jumping and clambering onto the fruit trays as they picked up their favourite morsels, which was a highlight for some local and foreign tourists.

The festival was started in 1989 by Yongyuth as a way to boost tourism in the province, which is home to the 10th century Phra Prang Sam Yod temple. The macaques will get four different servings of food throughout the day on Sunday.

⇒ video source: Global News / youtube.com /

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Wildlife and Plant Conservation website offers details on park locations, entrance fees, camping options, and activities within the parks.

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