LOPBURI – The Lopburi economy is suffering as shops in the city centre threaten to close after a troop of over 3,500 monkeys caused significant problems. Businesses and stores have shuttered and relocated, while Chinese investors have put their investments on hold.
Pongsatorn Chaichanapanich, president of the Lopburi Chamber of Commerce, told “Prachachat Business” that the heart of Lopburi city on Ratchadamnoen Road, which used to be a major business district in the province, is now deserted and dilapidated because businesses are closing and moving away.
One of the reasons for this is that the heart of Lopburi city is a historic city center for which there are laws, such as limiting the height of buildings and maintaining the condition of the original buildings. Another major problem is the number of monkeys in the area, estimated to be at least 3,500, which is considered very high.
This is a major factor in companies moving out of the area more quickly. This can be clearly seen in the area opposite the historical monument Phra Prang Sam Yot (Three Stupas), which has been completely cleared.
Pongsatorn also proposed solutions to the problem, including amending the law to allow the management of monkeys in urban areas and designating the city government as the main authority to seek opinions from other agencies such as the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. He also said that the problem of a dense monkey population in urban areas has spread to other provinces such as Phetchaburi and Nakhon Ratchasima.
“The government needs to decide at the policy level how it will develop Lopburi as a historical city with many historical sites and how the government will help promote tourism in the province and attract more tourists.”
Surachat Chanprasit, deputy of Pingya Shopping Center, stated that monkeys often enter the mall to climb and disturb customers who come to shop. Customers who rent a space to sell goods have to repair damage to roofs, windows and other things almost every month.
This has resulted in fewer and fewer customers coming to shop, and the mall has lost money. As a result, the mall was put up for sale, with the price reduced from 100 million baht to 70 million baht, or 6.25 million baht per unit.
However, two years after the mall was put up for sale, it has yet to be sold due to the poor overall economy. Some tenants’ leases are about to expire and some are asking to terminate their leases. For this reason, the shopping center has reduced the rent by 50-70 percent to help the tenants.
“Previously, a Chinese investor had visited the area to check the feasibility of an investment. However, when the investor realized that the problem of monkey population threatening the heart of the city had not been solved, he postponed the investment indefinitely,” Surachat said.
In response to the situation, the governor of Lopburi, Ampol Angkhapakornkul, visited the problem areas. On February 7, Lopburi Province will sign a memorandum of understanding with the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation to jointly find solutions to the monkey problem.
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