Monkey city

In September 2025, the monkeys escaped. More than 2,000 macaques held at the Lopburi Monkey Nursery broke free, running amok through the city streets.

Rooted in Hindu legend, the monkeys are considered descendants of the divine monkey king Hanuman, who once aided Prince Rama against demonic forces. In gratitude for his service, the prince gifted the town of Lavo, known today as Lopburi, to Hanuman.

Fast forward to the 21st century, and Lopburi has become a tourist destination notorious for its wild monkeys. The Buddhist temple Phra Prang Sam Yot, their traditional stronghold, is a 13th century relic set within a modern town. Train tracks run along its eastern flank, while commercial buildings, many abandoned, surround the rest.

Until recently, the monkeys were free to reproduce and pillage the town as they pleased. Mounting pressure from residents eventually led to intervention, resulting in the construction of vast enclosures. Once revered, the monkeys are now confined, sterilised, and tattooed for identification. Only 50 still freely roam the streets. The steel enclosures, built to enforce sterilisation and population control, reek of excrement.

Their keepers paraded me cheerfully through the cages. I may have been one of the few visitors they’d seen in some time. It was a bleak scene: newborns kept in one enclosure, rival groups segregated in others. The keepers, meanwhile, remained jolly. Watchara, nicknamed Tuk, wore a Mickey Mouse T-shirt and proudly displayed an impressive spread of tattoos. Jirayu, nicknamed Ice, carried a tranquilliser rifle and sported a Smoke Weed T-shirt.

Mischievous and highly intelligent, the monkeys are now entirely dependent on the urban world. After their September escape, they seemed directionless, unsure where to go, and were ultimately lured back into captivity with food.
Across town, signs warn visitors not to feed the monkeys, though a designated feeding area sits beside a shrine where people pay their respects to the Buddha. There, the free monkeys fill their boots with yoghurt drinks and bananas until fully sated.

In Lopburi, it is still wise to stay in Hanuman’s good graces.