Lopburi’s survival guide for monkeys: 10 tips to keep your snacks and sanity intact
What every traveller should know before meeting Lopburi’s mischievous monkeys
Lopburi, Thailand’s ancient city filled with Khmer ruins, scenic temples, and monkeys. Lots of monkeys. While most people come for the culture and history, many leave with stories about simians stealing their sunglasses, water bottles, or in more dramatic cases, their sanity.
So before you find yourself locked in a staredown with a macaque over a half-eaten banana, here’s your essential guide to surviving (and thriving) in Thailand’s monkey metropolis.
The 10 tips to keep your snacks and sanity intact
1. Don’t feed them seriously
Yes, it may be tempting. No, they’re not hungry. These monkeys are part of a well-fed troupe and feeding them encourages aggressive behaviour and mobbing, especially in peak areas like Phra Prang Sam Yot and San Phra Kan Shrine. What starts as a gentle toss of fruit can end in you being overrun by chaos.
If you feed the monkeys, it will contribute to their boldness and their territorial aggression. They will remember your face and especially your snacks.
2. Hide your food like it’s gold
Monkeys in Lopburi are highly visual foragers and they will know a 7-Eleven bag when they see one. You are better off keeping your food and snacks stashed in a zipped backpack or anywhere else that’s out of sight. Even with a closed backpack, if they try, they will not succeed.
Carrying transparent plastic bags, food wrappers or having anything that will identify you as carrying any form of food will flag you as a target and they will start surrounding you.
3. Hold on to your personal belongings
Any personal belongings that you have, such as your phones, earrings, jewellery, accessories, and even your knockoff Ray-Bans, are fair game to the furry opportunists. Other than the fact that these items catch their interest for the sake of being a shiny thing, monkeys have learnt that they can use these items to barter for food from each other or from you (in your attempt to get it back).
They are quick, cunning, and will strike when you are the least aware, so make sure you keep your loose accessories stored or out of sight because they will not give it back easily.
4. Avoid eye contact (Unless you want a challenge)
As much as you want it to be, staring into a monkey’s eyes is not a bonding moment. For most species of monkeys, such as these macaques, direct eye contact is seen as more of a form of confrontation. If you choose to lock eyes, be prepared for a standoff or a swift charge.
What you should do instead is maintain a respectful glance (you can look in the general area, but not at them and especially in their eyes).
5. Don’t panic if they approach (Unless you’re holding a banana)
If one of them jumps near you or climbs around and/or on you, the best thing you can do is to remain calm. This means that you should not scream, run, or especially hit one of them.
Monkeys are very social creatures and if dealing with one small, agile, and vengeful macaque is a pain then you surely do not want to be dealing with 20 of them.
6. Travel light or at least travel smart
You do not want to look like a walking loot box when you are out and about in Lopburi. Large shopping bags, dangling purses, and plastic bags, as mentioned previously, will draw the wandering eyes of furry opportunists towards you.
Depending on how you got here, keep your things stashed away in the car that you do not want to lose and make sure that your travel with food is short. Travelling light also allows you to feel less burdened and encumbered and more able to act if anything was to go down with the macaques.
7. Watch the kids (Monkeys and humans)
If you are travelling around Lopburi with kids, keep them close or the monkeys will target them. Young children to these macaques in two ways:
- Points of curiosity where they are inquisitive about children and want to touch or interact to understand better. Knowing the boisterous nature of kids, they might trigger the monkeys.
- Easy targets that cannot fight back as effectively as an adult.
However, it’s not just the human kids that you have to watch out for, as you will need to keep an equal eye for macaque children. They may look adorable but the mothers are hyper-protective, so getting close can trigger their defensive behaviour.
8. Respect their space
According to the guide, Lopburi’s monkey population has grown to over or under 3,000 individuals (numbers varying due to sterilisation efforts) in the urban area alone. Many have developed their own territories and routines.
While it might feel like they’re encroaching on the city, the reality is… you’re also in their turf, so give them the respect that they deserve and do not make an effort to invade their privacy, especially if they are grooming or eating.
9. If bitten or scratched, seek medical help immediately
Monkey bites and scratches aren’t just painful; they carry real health risks, including rabies and herpes B virus.
If you get bitten, you are strongly advised to immediately clean the wound and visit the nearest hospital for post-exposure treatment. Lopburi’s local hospitals are equipped to handle monkey-related injuries.
Most important tip: Do not try to self-diagnose with YouTube and rubbing alcohol.
10. Just enjoy from a distance
Monkeys can be fascinating to watch in Lopburi but just do it from a safe distance. Use zoom in cameras if you can and if not possible, don’t disturb them the best you can. They may interact with you to a certain extent but that is no reason to start invading their space (as unfair as it may seem).
You will find them everywhere, so there is no need to start rushing everywhere and forcing the Pulitzer Prize-winning photo. Just enjoy and respect the space between you and the monkeys.
Monkey business isn’t always fun and games
Lopburi is a destination unlike any other, where history and wildlife collide in a truly unique (and occasionally chaotic) way. With just a bit of common sense and these survival tips in your pocket (not your hand), you’ll be able to enjoy everything the city has to offer minus the monkey muggings.
Stay safe, stay alert, and above all, stay snackless.
The Thaiger key takeaways
- Lopburi’s macaques target food and belongings, so hide snacks and secure items.
- Staying calm, avoiding eye contact, and giving them space reduces conflict.
- If bitten or scratched, seek medical care immediately to prevent serious infection.
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