CHAN: Every year, the town of Lopburi in Thailand hosts a special outdoor feast for its most loved residents -- the monkeys.

STORY: This year's monkey feast is the 18th anniversary in Lopburi which is about 150 km from Bangkok. The tradition attracts hundreds of tourists from across the region to celebrate with 3,000 long-tailed macaques.

At dawn dozens of villagers decorate the ancient pagoda of Prang Sam Yod and it houses hundreds of monkeys. Colourful ice blocks filled with fruits and flowers are part of a lavish banquet - 2,000 kilogrammes of fruit, cookies, candy and Thai desserts - a real delicacy for the monkeys. The guests took to the tables with vigour.

The party is organised by local hotelier who says the aim of the party is to

thank the monkeys for bringing tourists to the city and attracting foreign business to Lopburi.

[Yongyuth Kitwatananuson, Hotel Manager]: "I have the hotel, Lopburi Inn, where the business is quite successful. Each year we celebrate by preparing a monkey banquet. Every year as we make the monkey banquet, it seems like our business also gets better."

According to legend, Hanuman the Monkey King was rewarded with the fiefdom of what is now Lopburi. Centuries later, monkeys still rule the area around the town's two most sacred sites. Villagers and other visitors keep watch over the energetic monkeys. Many run off with jewelry, candy and even baby bottles. Despite the nuisance, there is no question that the annual event brings joy to the local villagers. According to Thai beliefs, donating food to the monkeys is a way of accruing good karma. (less info)