Sunday 23 August 2009

The locals in Lopburi

I stumbled on this interesting blog written by Paul, an Irish guy living in Lopburi - the town I first worked last year - and it got me thinking about Lopburi.

Although I never really warmed to the place (blame the one hour commute each way) it is a popular stop for tourists, both Thai and foreign, who seek a glimpse of the town's picturesque Khymer-ruins, historic temples and population of street-roaming monkeys - crab-eating macaques, to be precise.

The town recently announced a birth control plan to control the town's famous but rapidly-growing monkey population. Cute though they look the monkeys are a nuisance in the town. Not afraid of people, they regularly steal anything and everything they can get their hands on from locals and tourists.

All this talk of Lopburi is the perfect excuse to show a few of my snaps from my time in the town.

Can anyone else genuinely say they've worked in a town full of monkeys?







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3 comments:

Martyn said...

Jon monkeys are kind of cute but living with them all around you would be a bit too much. I'm told they can be quite aggressive little buggers as well. At least where you are now your bananas are well and truly safe. How's the local footie side doing, are they playing like a bunch of monkeys or like your beloved Gooners. I'm still awaiting your first match report.

nrugkhapan said...

UGH. i went to school in Lopburi from elementary to middle school, so i should know. i dont find these monkeys cute or lovable in any way. one snatched snacks off of my hands when i was like 5. a few years later another jumped on my head. traumatized!

Jon said...

Hi Martyn,

You got it right, cute at first but they quickly become vermin.

Footie team is doing ok. I have a work in progress re the footie which may be of interest once completed.

Hey Tao,

Grew up in Saraburi, school in Lopburi - small world. Yeah, the bastard monkeys once mugged me for a precious cartoon of milk (Englishmen need their tea) and had the audacity to consume said milk in front of me.

Spoilt my appreciation of the monkeys, still I like the pictures I took.