A marauding army of about 3,500 monkeys has invaded Thailand’s city center, driving away tourists and forcing shops to close, according to reports.
Monkeys have become such a serious problem that the popular city of Lopburi is at risk of becoming a ghost town as Chinese investors withhold their funds until the problem is resolved. According to South China Post.
Local monkeys harass customers and destroy businesses, causing several businesses and stores to close and fleeing the once-thriving trade center, the report said.
Mr. Surachat Chanprasit, Vice President of Pingya Shopping Center, said: He told the Thai media outlet Khaosod. Monkeys often climb into shopping malls and get in the way of shoppers.
Small business owners who rent space to sell their products often have to repair roofs, windows, and other damage every month. The mall was listed for sale two years ago, but there were no buyers.
“Earlier, Chinese investors used to visit the area to check the feasibility of their investments,” Surachat said.
“However, investors realized that the problem of the monkey population threatening the city center had not been resolved and postponed their investments indefinitely,” it added.
The Lopburi Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the city center, once a major business district, is now deserted and abandoned, according to Khaosod News Agency.
The group blames the city’s building codes, which limit building heights and preserve history, for adding to the monkey problem.
According to the paper, businesses have almost completely vacated the area opposite the historic Phra Pran Sam Yot.
The chamber’s president, Phongsathorn Chaichanapanich, said he believed laws allowing monkey control in urban areas needed to be amended to save the city’s economy.
He said, “The government will decide at the policy level how to develop Lopburi as a historical city with many historic sites, and how to contribute to promoting tourism in the province and attracting more tourists.” There is a need.”
The monkeys were once an important part of the city’s tourism, before the destruction began, as tourists came to feed and interact with the monkeys at the historic site.
According to South China Post, the region also holds an annual monkey festival to thank the animals that brought people to Lopburi.
However, in recent years, problems related to monkeys have become more serious. In 2020, hundreds of monkeys belonging to two rival groups were filmed fighting each other on the streets of Lopburi.
Local authorities are trying to maintain primate populations with a mass sterilization program, but the hungry monkeys continue to resist.
Government officials in the region are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding with the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Authority to jointly find a solution to the monkey problem.
