Tiger Temple Is Banned From Charging Tourists to Visit the Temple’s Big Cats

[Jacob Maslow]

The Tiger Temple has been allowed to keep their big cats, but they are banned from charging tourists an entry fee. The Department of National Parks (DNP) has been in a heated battle with the monks that run the temple, with stand-offs and animal seizures in past months

While the DNP stated that the temple did not have all of the proper documentation for the animals, the DNP has reached a deal with the monks.

The DNP released a statement on Saturday, stating that they will allow the monks to keep the tigers under the condition that the temple does not profit from the tigers and that the tigers are not allowed to breed.

Under the agreement, the monks have stated that the tigers are confiscated state assets and are the responsibility of the state. However, the DNP reaffirms that the monks will be responsible for the cost of the tigers.

The deal struck between the monks and the DNP still leaves a complaint open. Earlier, a complaint was filed that stated 3 tigers were no longer accounted for by the temple. As of now, there has been no official news on the whereabouts of the missing tigers.

Without being able to charge tourists entry fees, it is speculated that the temple will not be able to maintain the tigers for long unless they are able to make up for it indirectly from tourists - through concessions or donations.

-- 2015-04-28

[jamesjohnsonthird]

So the new government really just wanted to strip the funding from this place all along?

Is this politics?

[worgeordie]

Will this move mean lots of starving Tigers ?,or will the Temple find a

way to collect money from tourists that they will not call a entry charge.

Think it will be back to Disney temple after a while,after all this is all

about money,and laws cannot be allowed to get in the way.

regards Worgeordie

[DavisH]

Expect refreshments to cost 500 baht from now one . Try this place if you want to see two-tiered pricing.

[Somtamnication]

Yep. Trust me. Donation requests are now mandatory.

[Local Drunk]

Yep. Trust me. Donation requests are now mandatory.

My advice is to not visit the temple for any reason.

[pisico]

QUOTE:

"Without being able to charge tourists entry fees, it is speculated that the temple will not be able to maintain the tigers for long unless they are able to make up for it indirectly from tourists - through concessions or donations"

Ever heard of a poor temple? Ever heard of monks who go to where the downtrodden, dispossessed and infirm live or subsist to help and cure them?

My GF always likes to put a 20 spot in the mandatory urn at every temple. Never mind that she sees the monks with tablets and smoking cigs, is for good luck, she says.

I know that eventually I will miss her.

[NongKhaiKid]

Donations, one simple word with so many meanings and applications.

[DLock]

Donation boxes will suddenly be increased 20-fold and Monks will simply point at donation boxes every time a tourist wants to pet, touch or walk somewhere.

Drinks will suddenly be 3 times the price, as will bottles of milk to feed the babies.

The food prices will double immediately, and parking will cost money, toilets will cost money and the souvenir shop will triple in size.

The monks will figure this game out quickly....they are only in this for the money....they could care less about the cats.

Avoid.

[Local Drunk]

Will this move mean lots of starving Tigers ?,or will the Temple find a

way to collect money from tourists that they will not call a entry charge.

Think it will be back to Disney temple after a while,after all this is all

about money,and laws cannot be allowed to get in the way.

regards Worgeordie

I suppose that a food shortage there may well depend on how interested the monks there are interested in getting close to their hungry tigers. As far as Disney goes, well the park is a TAT money maker. It's as though they are an authority unto themselves. What they really are is how you have described this scenario... Living in an unreal world of entertainment, for profit.

[Beng]

Yep. Trust me. Donation requests are now mandatory.

My advice is to not visit the temple for any reason.

Exactely.

[Beng]

Another act of stupidity.

[englishoak]

So much for a clamp down

[Srikcir]

No entry fee but an animal cuddle fee.

[cumgranosalum]

As a huge proportion of the visitors to the temple are of tours or group trips it would seem very likely that the tour companies will "donate" some of their own proceeds to the temple?

[cumgranosalum]

No entry fee but an animal cuddle fee.

No - read the article....

[Tomtomtom69]

Expect refreshments to cost 500 baht from now one . Try this place if you want to see two-tiered pricing.

The fact they are now NOT allowed to charge is one good reason to visit because as far as I'm aware there was racist dual pricing in place at this venue prior to this. One reason why I never visited in the past.

[cumgranosalum]

Expect refreshments to cost 500 baht from now one . Try this place if you want to see two-tiered pricing.

The fact they are now NOT allowed to charge is one good reason to visit because as far as I'm aware there was racist dual pricing in place at this venue prior to this. One reason why I never visited in the past.

"Racist" - what a facile remark.....the charges were based rightly or wrongly on nationality.

how this ruling will improve the lot of the tigers is not clear....but I'm sure the monks will find a way round the problem.

[ktaragorn]

I have visited this place recently. And found no signs of this ruling. They are still charging 600 THB for entrance, except we never got a ticket or receipt that we could retain to prove this. They are also charging for "Special photo" and other events such as feeding, exercise, etc. I have photos to prove some of this. I am not sure if they are doing this illegally, or if the ruling was repealed.