I have been to Krabi in southern Thailand many times in the past. On a recent visit in Feb 2008 I was surprised to see statues of apes at a main intersection, each ape holding the traffic lights. I assumed this was a gimmick. It was only a few days later that I was walking on the other side of the road when I found an explanation about these statues.

They are to commemorate the archaeological findings made in the Krabi district. These include 43,000 year old human skeletons unearthed from under a cliff at the Tab-prik School in Krabi. Also 27,000 year old human skeletons found at Mor Keaw Cave, Ban Na-Ching in Krabi district. The oldest finds are fossils dated at 37 million years, found in a lignite mine. They are jaw bones of an ancient primate, later named Siamopithecus eocaenus, (the signboard says Siam Moipithecus erectus, but this is wrong) which could be an ancestor of humans.

The crossroads in Krabi are now known as Manus Borarn Square. There is even a diamond shaped road sign on Soi 10, Maharat Road. I'm not sure where the name comes from, Bo-rarn means traditional (or ancient in Sanskrit), so maybe it's traditional man !