The Thai town of Lopburi has been serving a 5-Star banquet to macaques populating the area for the last three decades, each time triggering a rush on watermelons, bananas and other fruits on offer. The Thai tradition of good deeds and the need to attract tourists to the region are the rationale for the yearly gesture. As always, the 2016 edition of the event saw the ravenous guests quickly gulp down the ‘dishes’ to the delight of their remote ‘cousins’ shooting their cameras. The Lopburi festival takes place on the ruins of Phra Prang Sam Yot, an 800-year old Khmer era Hindu temple. Monkeys occupy a special place in the hearts of the Thai people, thanks to the heroism of Hanumal, the Hindu monkey god who helped Rama to rescue his wife Sita from the clutches of an evil demon king. Lopburi monkeys are known to have absolutely no fear of humans.
