Lopburi, Apenheul in Thailand (video)
At Apeldoorn you have the Apenheul. That's where the apes free among the visitors. In Thailand you have Lopburi. Exactly the same, but different.
Lopburi is a city with an interesting history located about three hours north of Bangkok. It is one of the oldest cities in Thailand and for that reason alone it is worth a visit.
The ancient Khmer temple, Prang Sam Yot and the Khmer shrine, Sarn Phra Karn are beautiful icons of a bygone era. The structure has three prangs, representing Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva (the Hindu trinity). It was later recognized as a Buddhist shrine.
macaque
Today, the city is best known for the hundreds of macaque monkeys that roam freely in the middle of the city. The hundreds of monkeys are really everywhere and are actually a real plague.
Every year a special festival for the monkeys is organized in Lopburi. The festival takes place on the last weekend of November and is a major attraction for locals and foreign visitors. The festivities include a 'monkey tea party' where the macaques are spoiled with sweets, fruit, eggs, cucumbers and bananas.
The locals feed the monkeys because they believe it brings good luck.
Video: travelogue to Lopburi and Sukhothai
In this nice video you can see a travelogue of a visit to Lopburi and Sukhothai:
Lopburi exactly the same as the Apenheul, but different.
That "other" lies in the fact that the monkeys in Thailand are not only much more aggressive, but also often carry rabies with them. Just being scratched is enough to transfer it.
I would also like to point out that rabies, left untreated, is a deadly disease if not treated immediately after the first scratch!
So: don't have food or bananas with you, don't touch, firm stick in hand is my advice.