A Monkey Buffet Festival held in Thailand

The annual Monkey Buffet Festival, a fun one with a difference, was held in Lopburi, Bangkok, on Nov 24. The festival is exactly what it sounds like - monkeys eat.

The Monkey Buffet takes place in the overgrown and ruined Khmer temple of Pra Prang Sam Yot, where the majority of the monkeys live. The monkeys are treated with reverence and respect and are even cordially invited to attend their feast with invitations that are attached to cashew nuts and distributed to the guests of honor.

The banquet is worthy of a five star hotel. Endless oceans of bananas, mangos, dragon fruits, apples, pineapples, durians and all the other tropical fruits you can think of are spread out for the Macaques to feast upon. Some fruit will be encased in blocks of ice, which the monkeys will lick in frustration, not able to contain themselves and wait for the ice to melt.

The festival begins with live performances and dances that draw the monkeys out. Culturally, the non-spiritual feast will bring good luck to the local townspeople. Visitors may even see frequent monkey food fights.