Usually held on the last Sunday of November, the Monkey Buffet Festival of Thailand is an interesting occasion. The festival was initially started in 1989 by hotelier Yongyuth Kitwattananusont with the help of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. It’s held on the premises of Phra Prang Sam Yot temple in Lopburi, a place 155 kilometers north of the capital.

The monkeys generally found in this area are the long-tailed macaques. The festival starts with the dance performances by people clad in monkey costumes. Then, the tables full of food items like sticky rice, fruit, salad, and vegetables are unveiled and offered to the monkeys to feed on. It’s believed that the offering brings good luck to the lives of people. The main idea behind this festival can be linked to Hindu folklore and the respect for monkeys. In the Hindu epic Ramayana, a monkey named Hanuman and his army helped Lord Ram rescue his wife Sita from the clutches of the evil Ravana.