Two or three hours north of Bangkok, Lopburi is just like any other small town in Thailand. There are street vendors, purveyors of spicy food, and the scent of tropical flowers permeating the air. Oh, and yes, thousand of monkeys.

Macaque monkeys are not unusual in Thailand, but Lopburi is well known for being overrun with them. When you get there, take a brief walk through downtown. Look into the shops, get a bite to eat, and take a few pictures. As you walk through town, monkeys chase each other on the sidewalk and down the alleys. They scale the sides of apartment buildings and sit on ledges, and they scurry across the utility wires. Like the North American squirrel in the US and Canada, macaque monkeys in Lopburi have completely adapted to the urban lifestyle, and enjoy the easy pickings and the generous gifts of food from the tourists and locals alike.

If you get an idea to carry a few snacks with you, think better of it. Either leave them in your car, or put them in your backpack—don’t ever carry them around openly. The monkeys aren’t afraid of people, and if you’re holding food, they see it as an invitation to grab it right out of your hands. And yes, getting a monkey to eat out of your hands is cute and makes a good picture, but you must keep in mind that these cute little animals are still wild, have long sharp teeth, and carry diseases. In Lopburi, they are used to people, but there are still incidents of attack now and then. Feed them by leaving food near where they congregate, then retreat to a safe distance to watch.

If you happen to be there in November, you can enjoy the Monkey Festival, which is a time when the locals prepare a huge feast for the monkeys to make merit and bring good fortune, and to give thanks to the monkeys for bringing tourist dollars to the town.

Take a trip to Prang Sam Yot while you’re there. This is an old Khmer style temple, and another place where the monkeys like to gather. The scenic temple is reminiscent of the style seen at Angkor Wat, with three stately prangs, representing the Hindu trinity.

While visiting Lopburi, you may occasionally see an automobile with a toy stuffed alligator sitting on the roof. It’s a rather strange site, but there’s an explanation. The monkeys often climb on cars, sometimes leaving scratches (and other nasty reminders of their presence) on the roof. But the animals don’t like alligators—even toy ones—and will leave your car alone if you take this simple precaution.