Traditional Hunting In Thailand

[NBD]

After a few years here it struck me that I've never really seen any evidence of hunting or trapping here in Thailand. I know there is some illegal poaching and big game hunting with rifles etc and some running around rice paddies for rats and frogs, but surely traditionally people must have eaten deer, wild boar and all the other beasts of the forest. I'm especially thinking of Kanchanaburi and Chaiyaphum as I know both quite well ane although miles apart both have big wild forest areas. But interested in hearing about other areas as well.

Does anyone know much about how people went hunting traditionally in rural Thailand? What did they hunt? How? For leisure or strictly to eat? Does it still go on? And am I right to thino pretty much all wild game hunting is now illegal? Why and since when?

I'm not about to go charging around shooting at wildlife and don't want to get into a debate about the rights and wrongs of hunting. Simply interested in what is an important aspect of most cultures that I know nothing about in Thailand.

[Neeranam]

There are still a few wild tigers in Chaiyaphum and yes hunting them is illegal.

[Phronesis]

I was dating a girl from Trang recently...she is studying tourism and has aspirations of becoming a guide.

She told me that there are some traditional peoples living in (and living off) the forest in that area.

She entered their (tribal) name into the dictionary on her I Phone and the English translation that came up was "Aboriginal".

If anyone knows anything about this tribe please post...as I want to ride down to Trang and check them out.

The girl told me that a several day hike into the forest is required to see them...

[Neeps]

I was dating a girl from Trang recently...she is studying tourism and has aspirations of becoming a guide.

She told me that there are some traditional peoples living in (and living off) the forest in that area.

She entered their (tribal) name into the dictionary on her I Phone and the English translation that came up was "Aboriginal".

If anyone knows anything about this tribe please post...as I want to ride down to Trang and check them out.

The girl told me that a several day hike into the forest is required to see them...

See what? I know trang very well

[rene123]

Anything that is legal to hunt has probably already been shot. Most Asians have little regard for the wild creatures around them. If it is in anyway edible or marketable then it will be exploited to the point of extinction. Even the rules and regulations in National parks are ignored if the locals can make money from killing the native species. I spent a lot of time wandering around the forests and river valleys in Thailand and I've only seen a few monkeys, two deer and a flock of peacocks. The bird life seems very frightened of any close human interaction. The white egrets get shot at any time of year and so do any waterfowl. . And, there are remote floating villages on all of Thailand's reservoirs. The locals live off what they can kill and eat. That doesn't leave much for the tourist to look at, let alone hunt.

[LuukKoeyKorat]

I was dating a girl from Trang recently...she is studying tourism and has aspirations of becoming a guide.

She told me that there are some traditional peoples living in (and living off) the forest in that area.

She entered their (tribal) name into the dictionary on her I Phone and the English translation that came up was "Aboriginal".

If anyone knows anything about this tribe please post...as I want to ride down to Trang and check them out.

The girl told me that a several day hike into the forest is required to see them..

Check this article, slightly dated but still gives a fascinating insight: http://www.andaman.org/BOOK/chapter36/text36.htm

[krisb]

There are still a few wild tigers in Chaiyaphum and yes hunting them is illegal.

Really?

[ChinChanGamble]

There are still a few wild tigers in Chaiyaphum and yes hunting them is illegal.Really?

+1

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[Phronesis]

I was dating a girl from Trang recently...she is studying tourism and has aspirations of becoming a guide.

She told me that there are some traditional peoples living in (and living off) the forest in that area.

She entered their (tribal) name into the dictionary on her I Phone and the English translation that came up was "Aboriginal".

If anyone knows anything about this tribe please post...as I want to ride down to Trang and check them out.

The girl told me that a several day hike into the forest is required to see them..

Check this article, slightly dated but still gives a fascinating insight: http://www.andaman.org/BOOK/chapter36/text36.htm

Ah...Ha....its true...not an urban myth. Thanks very much for the link...

I now have my next life goal....to see and live with these people for a period...

[Neeps]

Their name is <Thai Script removed>.... They were a nomadic people until lately when now have more in contact with outsiders(thai) mostly around bantat mountain. Once the banana leaves they used as shelter turned brown they moved on. Amazing
http://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B8%8B%E0%B8%B2%E0%B9%84%E0%B8%81

[Neeps]

http://www.gotoknow.org/posts/324715

Another link to these amazing people

[NBD]

Very interesting, and I'm glad I have read more about these people I really knew nothing of until starting this thread.

However I'm really more interested in the hunting practices of the now settled populations of "mainstream" Thailand. The Tai if you like.

[Scully]

One of the local old ladies spotted a boar on the mountain while she was collecting food it really scared her, she told her family and they were off. An hour later half the local lads in the village were on the mountain with guns looking forward to a boar feast.

They never found it.

[h90]

a lot people are hunting everything that can be sold or eaten.....Most ugly cases are for the Chinese medicine. But enough domestic nonsense (hunting bats and small birds to eat them )

[h90]

One of the local old ladies spotted a boar on the mountain while she was collecting food it really scared her, she told her family and they were off. An hour later half the local lads in the village were on the mountain with guns looking forward to a boar feast.

They never found it.

Boars have the advantage over the locals that they don't drink lao kao.....

In the south some people have "half wild" pigs. Mostly females that get pregnant on "themselfs" so there must be some male running around but not was ever seen.

These half wild pigs often disappear for 1-2 weeks and come back......if the it get hunted down by the next village someone will be very upset....

[Phronesis]

I often go hunting and gathering with the folks in my girls village.

Despite the claims by many numpties here on TV that I do not even live in Thailand.

[chrisinth]

Just going up north a bit, the 'hilltop' market between Tak and Mai Sot usually has wild boar and all sorts of other game on sale, so I would assume that hunting takes place in the jungles there.

You used to be able to buy many different exotic birds there as well, again, caught in the jungle, but I think they have clamped down on this, or drove it underground.

Never seen it happen though..............

[SamsonSW]

Yes Thais hunt for food whenever they have the chance.

Very few live in areas where there is anything left worth hunting.

Enforcement of the laws about endangered species is about as effective as it is in other areas though, I have found the common people actually care more about wildlife and ecology in general than law "enforcement" officials.