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If you are planning on taking a short vacation upcountry, especially to the provinces of Phetchaburi or Lop Buri, you might want to watch your purse and belongings as there is a good chance you'll be robbed by a gang.
We're not talking about unruly groups of technical and vocational students (the ones usually in the spotlight) - it's bandit monkeys you should watch out for. With their amazing climbing, swinging, diving and swimming abilities, they might look cute and provide some lovely photo opportunities, but don't be fooled, these gangs of monkeys are strong, clever, hungry, and just waiting for vulnerable tourists to enter their territory.
If you're in Phetchaburi and happen to pass by Khao Wang, King Rama IV's mountain palace, or if you're heading for the ancient Dvarawati and Khmer style temples in Lop Buri, make sure your belongings are secure and also hide your snacks; the monkeys are hungry and waiting.
These monkeys have grown dependent on humans for their food supply and will go out of their way to get their meal. Lop Buri monkeys love yoghurt, durian, and egg yolk while Phetchaburi monkeys prefer corn, even more than bananas!
Laura, an English teacher, was shocked when she was robbed for a bottle of Pepsi while touring the sights in Lop Buri. An innocent innocent looking monkey approached her, snatched her Pepsi and gulped it down in one. She was too shocked and surprised to do anything. And it's not just your food these guys are interested in; monkeys will often snatch purses, earrings, wallets, cameras, sunglasses, in fact anything they can lay their hands on.
Phatom Rasitanont, curator of the Phra Nakhon Khiri Museum in Phetchaburi, explained the habits of his furry fellow citizens: "The monkeys get anxious around tourists. During the week, when there are fewer tourists, the monkeys don't get to eat much so when the tourists pour in at the weekends, the monkeys go wild."
Just like any other gangs, the monkeys have formed their territories. In Phetchaburi, there are about four or five different monkey gangs based around tourist spots. The two primary ones are in front of Khao Wang, numbering at least 4,000 members. In Lop Buri, the main gangs are located at Phra Prang Samyod Temple and along Wichayen Road. The monkeys stick to their territory during daylight hours, scavenging for food before retiring to their beds in the trees at night.
For a monkey to leave its territory is a big deal. Traffic police officer Pinyo Phetprayoon, who works at Khao Wang, shared his observations:
"Every once in a while, a monkey will cross into the wrong territory, which causes a rumble. Usually it's the senior monkeys that get physical while the other monkeys cheer from the trees. They fight bloody battles and if there is no one there to break the fight up, it will usually end in death."
Just as he was speaking a monkey stole a bag of sweets from a local a few metres away. As he chased that monkey, another group of monkeys jumped on a parked truck five metres in the other direction. He had to grab his wooden stick to scare them away.
The local explained his view of the monkeys: "They're quite playful and curious. Initially they're scared but their curiosity drives them on and before you know, it's fun and games." he said.
"A food vendor used to bring a stuffed crocodile and put it near her snack stand, but this only worked for a short time before the monkeys tore it to shreds."
So what measures are taken to control these unruly monkeys? In Lop Buri, they have hired two monkey guards, Yut, 20, and Toey, 13, who helps out during his summer holidays. They patrol the hot spots with sling shots and sticks but there are still dangers; Yut has been bitten six times and has the scars to prove it.
Phetchaburi doesn't have any regularly guards but most vendors carry sling shots and sticks. However, during big festivals, the city hires monkey trainers from the south, who bring several Pig- Tailed Macaques to act as guards. As the Macaque is a larger monkey, this is an effective tactic to keep monkeys from playing with and destroying the festival lights.
It's unclear how many monkeys there actually are in Thailand but it's definitely in the hundreds of thousands if not millions. While thousands have adapted to city life - drinking Pepsi, eating plastic bags and stealing yoghurts, there are a large number still living naturally in the wild - eating fruit, vegetables and bugs. However, as their natural habitat continues to disappear, more monkeys will be forced to depend on humans.
END
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