A Chinese tourist was bitten on the face by a lion cub at Lion World Cafe on Chiang Mai's Chang Khlan Road on August 28, after picking up the animal and bringing his face close to it.
Wildlife officials have since inspected the cafe, which was given a written warning for not reporting the bite within the required timeframe. They said a further similar failure could bring action under relevant laws and regulations.
The incident happened at about 1.20pm while four Chinese tourists were at the cafe. Officials confirmed that four lion cubs had temporary approval to be displayed and photographed there between August 17 and September 16.
Tourist received hospital treatment
Lion World Cafe said visitors must wash and disinfect their hands, read the rules and follow staff instructions before entering the animal display area.
According to the cafe, the injured tourist ignored rules against direct contact by lifting a cub and placing his face near it. The animal then turned and bit him, leaving two fang marks on his face.
Staff separated the cub from the visitor, cleaned the wounds and gave first aid before taking him to hospital. He received further treatment, along with tetanus and rabies vaccinations.
Cafe disputes compensation reports
Cafe manager Siam said the business refunded the tourist's package in full and provided a further 4,000 baht.
He said the cafe paid directly for the first rabies injection. As the tourist intended to continue travelling and obtain the remaining four injections himself, the cafe gave him 3,200 baht towards vaccinations, calculated at 800 baht each, plus 800 baht for travel expenses.
Siam said the tourist accepted the arrangement and did not pursue further action against the cafe. He disputed Chinese media reports that described the 4,000 baht as compensation for the injury, saying it was intended to cover vaccination and travel costs.
The manager said the coverage had created misunderstandings about the case and had affected the business, with fewer foreign tourists visiting since the reports appeared.
No more lifting or hugging cubs
Officials ordered tighter controls in the display area, including a ban on visitors picking up, holding or directly touching lions and lion cubs. The measures are intended to protect both visitors and the animals.
Lion World Cafe has since strengthened its rules to stop customers lifting or hugging the cubs.
Pictures courtesy of Amarin
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5 September 2026
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