(27 Nov 2022)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Lopburi - 27 November 2022
1. Pan of monkey walking past Phra Prang Sam Yod sign
2. Various of monkeys on monkey statues outside Ancient Three Pagodas compound waiting for food
3. Various of feast for monkeys being prepared
4. Various of volunteers bringing food towards monkey feast area
5. Close of monkeys eating off plates
6. SOUNDBITE (Thai) Yongyuth Kitwatanusont, founder of monkey feast festival:
"Previously, there were around 300 monkeys in Lopburi before increasing to nearly 4,000 nowadays. But Lopburi is known as a monkey city which means monkeys and people can live in harmony. It is the only province that they can live together. But monkeys might disturb them sometimes. It's their nature. They are a bit naughty."
7. Various of monkeys eating, tourists taking pictures
8. SOUNDBITE (Thai) Yongyuth Kitwatanusont, founder of monkey feast festival:
"This monkey feast festival is a successful event that helps promote Lopburi's tourism among international tourists every year."
9. Visitor dressed in monkey outfit posing for photograph
10. Monkey climbing on tourist Carlos Rodway
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Carlos Rodway, tourist:
"I wasn't nervous, but when people give food to the monkeys, they are a little crazy and it's a little chaos. They fight between them. We have to take care with them, better leave them to it."
12. Various of monkey drinking from bottle
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Ayisha Bhatt, teacher:
"There was a monkey on my back as I was trying to take a selfie. He grabbed the sunglasses right off of my face and ran off on to the top of a lamppost and was trying to eat them for a while but I did get them back eventually because he realized he could not eat my sunglasses."
14. Close of monkey eating
15. Monkey playing with motorbike mirror
16. Wide of street with monkeys
17. Monkeys on fence in front of the compound of the Ancient Three Pagodas
STORYLINE:
A banquet fit for monkeys was served on Sunday at the annual Monkey Feast Festival in Lopburi, in central Thailand.
Amid the morning traffic, rows of monkey statues holding trays were lined up outside the compound of the Ancient Three Pagodas, while volunteers prepared food across the road.
Monkeys are viewed as a symbol of the province, which is situated around 150 kilometers (93 miles) north of Bangkok.
Throngs of macaque monkeys ran to and fro, at times fighting with each other, while the crowds of visitors and locals grew.
As the carefully prepared feast was brought towards the temple, the ravenous creatures began to pounce and were soon devouring the largely vegetarian spread.
However, while the entertainment value of the festival is high, organizers are quick to point out that it is not just 'monkey business'.
"This monkey feast festival is a successful event that helps promote Lopburi's tourism among international tourists every year," said Yongyuth Kitwatanusont, the festival's founder.
"Previously, there were around 300 monkeys in Lopburi before increasing to nearly 4,000 nowadays. But Lopburi is known as a monkey city which means monkeys and people can live in harmony."
Such harmony could be seen in the lack of shyness exhibited by the monkeys, as they climbed on to visitors, vehicles and lampposts.
At times the curious animals looked beyond the abundant feast and took an interest in other items.
The delighted onlookers were largely undeterred by the risk of petty theft, although some were content to exercise caution.
AP Video shot by: Tian Macleod Ji
===========================================================
Clients are reminded:
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
