Tiger Temple raided:

[Lite Beer]

Tiger Temple raided

More than 100 tigers and protected bird species in Wat Pa Luang Ta Bua, popularly known as the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi province were impounded by authorities following complaints that the temple was alleged to engage in illegal wildlife trading.

The impounding of all wild animals and protected birds was ordered after a combined force of more than 100 forestry and park officials, police and soldiers searched the temple for protected bird species on Tuesday.

They produced search warrant for a temple worker for acknowledgement but he refused to sign saying he has no authority, saying the temple abbot was in Bangkok for sickness treatment.

After failing to get his acknowledgement for the search, authorities decided to move in and search the area.

They seized 38 hornbills, and impounded more than 100 tigers in the temple.

Authorities also tried in vain to find two rare wolves which were earlier put in cage in front of the temple.

All the seized hornbills and other protected birds were put in cages and would be sent to Khao Pratap Chang wildlife research station in Ratchaburi for nursery.

Wildlife poaching suppression officer Chatchai Sripaew said all the birds are protected species and people raising these birds must have permits from authorities.

He said the search and seizure followed complaints that the temple engaged in illegal wildlife trade.

For the over 100 tigers in the temple, he said all would be impounded for check if the temple had official documents to raise them.

He said authorities would try to find out the two missing wolves, and seek clarification from the temple how they disappeared.

He said authorities would yet to get them back.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/tiger-temple-raided

-- Thai PBS 2015-01-04

[bruceybonus]

Are there any vices that monks are not involved in?

[smurph]

Some interesting impression on the place here... http://www.travelwireasia.com/2015/01/thailand-kanchanaburi-tiger-temple/

[clockman]

Vile practices, The mantra is greed. Should go viral. Let the world know.

[daveAustin]

Ooh, someone's gonna lose some coin here.

[aothai]

I've never understood tourists go there to see and touch the tigers, worst thing to go with children, stupid humans and parents.

[Thai at Heart]

100 tigers? Is this the worlds most successful captive breeding centre?

[LivinLOS]

Something that has been very obvious for a very long time..

[paddyjenkins]

Thainess as its most obscene

[EyesWideOpen]

Sriracha Tiger zoo near Pattaya was busted red handed selling tigers to China

a few years ago. Must be some serious money involved in this trade..

That case faded away, guess the right money was paid. I suspect this temple

is doing the exact same thing. Breed a tiger, make money showing it while it

is growing up, and then sell it to China. A sickening outcome for such a

magnificent animal. Sure wish the moronic men in China who eat tiger penis

soup will realize that Viagra works better, and saves tigers at the same time.

Ah here it is...Hmm why would a zoo need 100 tigers? Would think four

or five would be plenty. Unless............. And if you wanted to know whether

or not this transaction was shaky , you only need to know that the weasel

Plodprasop, aka The Plod or Propeller man, authorized the transaction.. :-)

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/606095-plodprasop-released-on-bail-in-alleged-tiger-export-case/

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/scandal-of-zoos-missing-tigers-6170235.html

"In March, Thai legislators launched an investigation into a cargo of 100 live Bengal tigers from Sriracha Zoo that were sent by jumbo jet to Sanya Love World theme park in Hainan, southern China, on Christmas Eve 2002. Love World is run by Sanya-Maitree Concept Co, which is co-owned by the Hainan Governor, Wei Liucheng, and a Thai entrepreneur, Maitree Temsiripong.

[lemonjelly]

At last !!!!

Now all they have to do is deal with 100 tigers that have spent their lives on tranquilizers.......... what's a tiger on cold turkey going to be like?

oh...... and the abbot of this place......... will he be arrested?

[NextStationBangkok]

Sadly, they are the whole sale suppliers of Tiger parts to China! Most people know they are doing illegal trade, so far they managed to run this trade. The business is like riding the Tiger itself, finally they get caught. Tigers are most territorial animals, and rehabilitating back to the wild is a tremendous job for Thailand. It is not easy how to rehabilitate 100 big cats. But at least there is a good news due to international pressure. They raided this place due to International pressure, not because to protect Thai wild life, because Thai wild life officials have illegal nexus with this trade.

[Artisi]

Sriracha Tiger zoo near Pattaya was busted red handed selling tiger to China

a few years ago. Must be some serious money involved in this trade..

That case faded away, guess the right money was paid. I suspect this temple

is doing the exact same thing. Breed a tiger, make money showing it while it

is growing up, and then sell it to China. A sickening outcome for such a

magnificent animal. Sure wish the moronic men in China who eat tiger penis

soup will realize that Viagra works better, and saves tigers at the same time.

And Viagra is much cheaper, especially the Thai equivalent manufactured by the Thai Pharmacy organisation (GPO) and certainly more effective than sucking a tigers d_ck

[roo860]

Despicable people, disgusting what they do to these wonderful animals!!!

[55Jay]

At first, I thought, why not just go to the temple and tell them to produce the documents?

Then again, if the temple is dodgy, then they would probably try to hide evidence and who knows what they would of done with animals they knew weren't legal, so yeah, guess it was best to kick the door down and freeze everything in place.

Doesn't say but I presume the place is shut down, thus not earning any money, and all animals are seized in place - not actually carted away to some government cage someplace. Also hope there's money and cover staff in place to continue caring and feeding while the investigation/legal process takes place, however long that will be and to what ever the final disposition is. I'm sure this was a part of the big "raid" plan?

I purposely avoided this Tiger Temple on all my trips to Kan. Dunno, always felt the Abbot may have had good intentions at the very beginning, but it has grown into this ugly tourist attraction with money involved. Money can change things, not always for the better and their being Monks means exactly zero to me.

[DM07]

Nooooo!

Are you telling me, that this wonderful place, where lamb and lion are living together peacefully (and without the aids of drugs or animal cruelty), was a hoax?

The peaceful monks and their tireless helpers, just a bunch of moneymaking hypocrits, feeding on gullible people from the west, who tear up, when they see a saffron- robe and think that anything far eastern is so beautiful and that Tai- Chi is the solution for all the world's problems?

[Kiwisailor]

Went there in the early days. Entry (even for farangs!) was only a few baht. Tigers were free to roam in the old quarry and you could get your photo taken with them. A donation box was there as you left the area to help develop the sanctuary but the sum was up to you if anything!

Went back about 3 yrs later and it was in full swing as a commercial enterprise. All of the grand plans from past years were still just plans with little to show for past donations. Tigers were now chained and somewhat controlled by squirting tiger urine into their nostrils when they got agitated. Never been back since and discourage others from visiting.

[h90]

I've never understood tourists go there to see and touch the tigers, worst thing to go with children, stupid humans and parents.

For a long time it was promoted as a place that helps tigers that got rescued. I am sure many tourists thought they do something good by supporting them.

[h90]

Went there in the early days. Entry (even for farangs!) was only a few baht. Tigers were free to roam in the old quarry and you could get your photo taken with them. A donation box was there as you left the area to help develop the sanctuary but the sum was up to you if anything!

Went back about 3 yrs later and it was in full swing as a commercial enterprise. All of the grand plans from past years were still just plans with little to show for past donations. Tigers were now chained and somewhat controlled by squirting tiger urine into their nostrils when they got agitated. Never been back since and discourage others from visiting.

That explains the good and the bad reports.....

[h90]

At last !!!!

Now all they have to do is deal with 100 tigers that have spent their lives on tranquilizers.......... what's a tiger on cold turkey going to be like?

oh...... and the abbot of this place......... will he be arrested?

I would put them in a big area and to distract them just lock the former temple staff into the same area. That also gives them a chance to proof that they kept them tame with just some Asian hokus pokus and not some Western Valium.

[seajae]

guess the wolves were too expensive to just let them be taken, they obviously couldnt afford to not have them to sell or already had sold them. Lets hope the police drag these mongrels over the coals, saffron shouldnt hold them back from really dishing it up to the bastards over this, monk or no monk they deserve jail time. Just hope they find the wolves still alive......

[worgeordie]

Wonder if they had whips and chairs on the raid, so no actual

Tigers removed,the excuse will be that people just left them at

the gate for the Temple to look after.

regards Worgeordie

[Jeremy50]

Now that the exploited tigers are off their sedatives, a scene from 'gladiators' comes to mind. Watch those robed guys run !

Throw them a few sticks to defend themselves with.

[circusman]

100 tigers? Is this the worlds most successful captive breeding centre?

Pretty much any one can have success raising tigers. One male and a female in heat and thats all thats to it.

[Kan Win]

Went there many a moon a go cost me 100 baht and my Thai wife for free, twice, had to sign that I donated the 100 baht btw.

Never went back, but, our Thai grown up children (from my wife's side) went there and all Thais complained about the fee they charged for Thais and non Thais as well, 600 baht.

I just smiled, thinking to myself, "I told you so" as I did tell them.

Re the 100 tigers, where is there a place to keep them in Thailand other than where they are now? Anyone knows? Kan Safari Park has the land, but , for 100 of them I think not.

Win

[LuckyLew]

Sriracha Tiger zoo near Pattaya was busted red handed selling tiger to China

a few years ago. Must be some serious money involved in this trade..

That case faded away, guess the right money was paid. I suspect this temple

is doing the exact same thing. Breed a tiger, make money showing it while it

is growing up, and then sell it to China. A sickening outcome for such a

magnificent animal. Sure wish the moronic men in China who eat tiger penis

soup will realize that Viagra works better, and saves tigers at the same time.

And Viagra is much cheaper, especially the Thai equivalent manufactured by the Thai Pharmacy organisation (GPO) and certainly more effective than sucking a tigers d_ck

and just how would you know that viagra is more effective than sucking a tigers weewee?

[DavidOxon]

Are there any vices that monks are not involved in?

Lesbianism!

[cumgranosalum]

I should be over the moon....but I'm not. I see no mention of experts being present - WWF or something like that so one has to assume this is mostly down to a bunch of soldiers or rangers who are barely prepared and the consequences will just be more deprivation for the animals.

We've seen how the authorities handle major crime scenes on Koh Tao - lets hope they don't make a similar mess of this.

[prakhonchai nick]

In my many years in Thailand I have learned never to trust the Monks. More than a few in my locality have been up to no good!

[Artisi]

Sriracha Tiger zoo near Pattaya was busted red handed selling tiger to China

a few years ago. Must be some serious money involved in this trade..

That case faded away, guess the right money was paid. I suspect this temple

is doing the exact same thing. Breed a tiger, make money showing it while it

is growing up, and then sell it to China. A sickening outcome for such a

magnificent animal. Sure wish the moronic men in China who eat tiger penis

soup will realize that Viagra works better, and saves tigers at the same time.

And Viagra is much cheaper, especially the Thai equivalent manufactured by the Thai Pharmacy organisation (GPO) and certainly more effective than sucking a tigers d_ck

and just how would you know that viagra is more effective than sucking a tigers weewee?

Good call, but must he honest and admit that the former has been assumed from acquired knowledge and the latter is only from imagination.