Tiger Skins In Chiang Mai

[Spaniel]

On my first trip to CM back in December 1967 I took the attached pic of a place that dealt in wild animal skins. I'm sure they are long gone but I can't remember what part of the city they were in other then I think it was around the Chiang Mai gate area. Any "old hands" arouynd lkthat might recall this place?

[cmsally]

There you are in the picture too! You haven't aged a bit! (Looks like spaniel in foreground!!)

[Spaniel]

Didn't get much response when first posted this last year so thought I'd try again.

[KRS1]

please dont buy tiger skins.

[CMHomeboy78]

Chiang Mai in 1967 must have been very active in the trade of wild animal skins.

I didn't get here until 1978, and by that time the tiger skins and other big pelts were not being sold openly. No doubt, with the right connections you could get whatever you wanted. At a price.

My only personal experience was on a trip up to Mae Sai. At that time, farangs couldn't enter Tachilek under any circumstances. The Thai girl I was with could have gone in on a one-day border pass if she had wanted to.

Mae Sai at that time was much smaller, with a lot less concrete and glass; but it had an extensive market with things being smuggled in from the Burmese Shan States and China. But it was mostly hilltribe goods, including animal skins of all kinds, and jewelery, some made from Queen Victoria rupees.

I bought a poorly tanned pelt [rather stiff] of a small jungle cat that looked just like a little leopard. Black spots on golden yellow. Really nice.

Mae Sai seemed like the kind of place where you could get anything, licit or illicit. There wasn't much of a police presence then.

Nowadays I just go to get my passport stamped. Times change.

[Farma]

The pic was taken far before my time but I remember seeing tiger parts (penis etc) on sale at a hill tribe village back in 1985. That same village is still on the tourist track near the 10,000 Baht farm? This hilltribe village still has a few opium plants on display.

[Showbags]

Amazing photo....for all the wrong reasons of course.

[anonymouse]

It wasn't that long ago I saw tiger skins for sale at Tachilek maybe 5 years back? I haven't noticed them recently though I am sure they are available. I'm guessing that they are farmed somewhere these days rather than wild tigers. I'm sure there is still a thriving business for tiger parts in CM especially with the influx of Chinese visitors.

[Dellboy218]

It wasn't that long ago I saw tiger skins for sale at Tachilek maybe 5 years back? I haven't noticed them recently though I am sure they are available. I'm guessing that they are farmed somewhere these days rather than wild tigers. I'm sure there is still a thriving business for tiger parts in CM especially with the influx of Chinese visitors.

Indeed there was, in fact around that time a TV documentary was made about suppliers in Tachilek. In what looked like a series of lock up garages various cat pelts were available but apparently a tiger pelt had to be put on order as it would take a couple of weeks to obtain!

[onthedarkside]

unhelpful posts removed