Lopburi, a Thai city in crisis as local monkeys force the local population to cage themselves in

[webfact]

Some photos from a field trip this week by national Thai TV included interviews with local business owners, including Uncle Atthaphon Phaengphan, a motorcycle taxi driver (centre) who told them that a local shopping centre had to close because the monkeys had taken over its precincts.

 

Lopburi, a once-prosperous Thai city, now battles a primate onslaught, with locals caging themselves against aggressive monkeys. Once-thriving areas are ghost towns as financial donations and political support fuel the monkeys’ reign.

A once prosperous Thai municipality not far from Thailand’s capital Bangkok is living through a crisis as the city, the provincial capital of Lopburi province by the same name finds itself overtaken by a growing population of monkeys.

 

Locals are increasingly living in fear and within steel cage-like fabrications to protect their quality of life and business concerns as once thriving areas of the city are morphing into ghost towns as the monkeys become more aggressive and domineering while being supported with financial donations and political protection from people outside Lopburi.

 

Lopburi, a tranquil city nestled 150 kilometres northeast of Bangkok, has become the unlikely battleground for a fierce conflict between its human residents and a surging population of highly intelligent monkeys.

 

by James Morris and Son Nguyen

 

Full story: Thai Examiner.com 2023-12-07

 

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[2baht]

This has been building for years! Inevitable really.

[BritManToo]

Surprised the Local Thais haven't taken matters into their own hands.

[save the frogs]

the monkeys have political protection?

how did they negotiate that?

 

[edwinchester]

47 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

the monkeys have political protection?

how did they negotiate that?

 

Palang Pracharath is full of them.

[Peabody]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

"...a fierce conflict between its human residents and a surging population of highly intelligent monkeys."

The "highly intelligent monkeys" are obviously more intelligent than the (Thai) human residents!  :)

 

[gargamon]

This is just a preview for the upcoming “Planet of the Apes“ movie. Don't be concerned. 

[loong]

Invite the monkeys to a BBQ. Just don't tell them what's on the menu.

[petermik]

setting up a committee will sort them out

[paul1804]

Its the stupidity of both the residents and the authorities, the solution is very simple. Round up the monkeys, cull the old or sick ( many are ) and move the rest into an enclosure like a zoo. Desex the males and some of the females until the population becomes manageable.  I have visited Lopburi many times and always said the ever expanding monkey population if left to its own means will become a nuisance one day but the local people just laughed, now the laugh is on their stupidity for allowing the population to expand as it has. The monkeys are aggressive, they raid businesses stealing food, damage vehicles and property, kill cats and small dogs given the opportunity and generally are a pest to all and this was happening back as far as 2010 when I first visited Lopburi. Now they are forcing the closure of businesses, how irresponsible of the authorities is that? 

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

the monkeys become more aggressive and domineering while being supported with financial donations and political protection from people outside Lopburi.

So who is taking the donations and not doing their job?

[Thingamabob]

I was all for the monkeys until I read they were killing cats and dogs.

[digger70]

How stupid are the people Get the Headman to take care of the problem  Eradicate the vermin.

It seems that Vermin are more important than people.

[daveAustin]

They are a nuisance. Similar in southern city of Songkhla and also in Krabi around that high temple. Aggressive little b’stards, with people getting bitten and more bike accidents etc. The people have brought it on themselves by continually feeding them (making merit) + extra protections from the gov, including soi dogs. They think they are doing good but all it does is bring suffering for the wild animals and angst for humans. The huge packs of monkeys and mange stray dogs is the worst I’ve seen it here in over 25 years and smacks of third world. This scenario was inevitable and will not end well.

[PETERTHEEATER]

7 hours ago, save the frogs said:

the monkeys have political protection?

how did they negotiate that?

 

Tourist attraction to many. Vermin if you are resident.

[Grusa]

I have said this before on a similar topic.

 

When I first visited Lopburi some 15 years ago, and noticed all the bars on every shopnouse level I thought, Burglarly must be rife here!.

 

After a year or so, I realised, Monkeys are rife here!

 

What does that say about Bangkok?