Concerns that Thai tourist city will become a 'ghost town' because of monkeys

Lopburi city is facing the risk of becoming a ghost town because thousands of monkeys have invaded and destroyed shops, preventing tourists from shopping.

Once a thriving commercial hub, the city of Lopburi, in central Thailand's Lopburi province, is now at risk of becoming a ghost town. Surachat Chanprasit, a representative of Pingya Shopping Center, said monkeys regularly invade stores and harass shoppers, affecting business. The city is "under control" of about 3,500 monkeys .

Wild monkeys appear throughout Lopburi city. Photo: Reuters — Wild monkeys appear throughout Lopburi city. Photo: *Reuters*

The monkeys have also vandalized and damaged storefronts. Many businesses have closed and left Lopburi. Two years ago, the Pingya mall was put on the market, but has yet to find a buyer despite the price being reduced from 100 million baht to 75 million baht. The mall’s management has also cut rents to help tenants weather the crisis after too many wanted to end their contracts.

A representative of the center said that a Chinese investor had previously planned to invest in the center. But after realizing that the problem of monkeys had not been completely resolved, the project was stopped.

Pongsatorn Chaichanapanich, head of the city lobby group, said businesses had abandoned the area opposite Phra Prang Sam Yot temple, a popular tourist spot. The city needs to change its policy, amending laws to allow residents to control monkeys in the downtown area. He said it is necessary to revive the economy and attract more tourists.

Monkeys climb on the backs of tourists in Lopburi. Photo: Reuters — Monkeys climb on the backs of tourists in Lopburi. Photo: *Reuters*

Lopburi province has long been a popular tourist destination thanks to the reputation of its mischievous wild monkeys. Tourists often visit to feed the monkeys and take selfies with them. The city also holds an annual monkey festival to thank the animals for helping Lopburi attract tourists.

Governor Ampol Angkhapakornkul recently visited the city and pledged to work with the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation to address the problem. In 2020, city officials launched a sterilization campaign to slow the growth of the monkeys, but it has not been successful.

Monkeys crawl across the streets in search of food in Lopburi. Photo: Hanout — Thousands of monkeys flood the streets in search of food in Lopburi. Photo: *Hanout*

Located about 150 km from Bangkok, Lopburi city is a destination that many tourists stop by to take photos and feed monkeys on their journey to Chiang Mai by road. Besides being famous for its wild monkeys, the city also attracts tourists with its rich culture and history. Prang Sam Yot Temple is one of the famous places that visitors visit when coming to Lopburi.

Anh Minh (According to SCMP )

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