Gibbon touts return to Monkey Beach
Phuket Gazette


Touts were spotted on Monkey Beach last week. Photo: Gazette reader

PHUKET: -- Illegal-gibbon touts returned to Monkey Beach in Phi Phi with the start of the high season, confirmed a Phuket Gazette reader.

Photographic evidence of two men walking the beach and offering to take pictures of tourists holding the gibbons was promptly passed on to officials.

“They are apparently back for high season, because they can earn so much money,” said Suwat Suksiri, chief of the Thung Talay Non Hunting Zone. “They are not afraid of getting arrested.”

One tout, arrested earlier this year, told officials that he could make at least 5,000 baht per day during the low season and up to 20,000 baht per day during high season.

With the possibility of making more than 500,000 baht a month during the high season, the maximum punishment of not more than 4,000 baht, four years imprisonment or both is hardly a deterrent, noted Mr Suwat.

Full story: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Gibbon-touts-return-Monkey-Beach/62319?desktopversion#ad-image-0


-- Phuket Gazette 2015-11-09

Put them all in jail. Return the gibbons to the wild, if they can survive in the wild ?

It seems to me that a 4 year imprisonment handed down to repeat offenders would be a significant deterrent.

They're not afraid of being arrested !

Maybe they have a good ' insurance ' policy.

C'money officialdom you're losing face to these touts so make them afraid of arrest unless there are good reasons why you shouldn't... !

Put them all in jail. Return the gibbons to the wild, if they can survive in the wild ?

Where is this "wild" you talk about?

Surely not on Phuket.

when you earn 10 000b a month at mcdonalds, 4 years possible jail for the possibility to make 500k per month for 6months is not that bad of a risk.

Where is this "wild" you talk about?

Surely not on Phuket.

Rehabilitated gibbons are released to the nature park next to Bang Pae Gibbon project.

If they earn 500,000 a month they won't go to prison ,can pay

There are higher powers than the rule of law on Koh Phi Phi

There are higher powers than the rule of law on Koh Phi Phi

"You are just a <deleted>....ing farang you can pay" yelled at me for no reason other than I wanted to pay local price for the ferry considering I was there for work & showed my WP

they wouldnt make any money if tourists didnt want a cuddly wuddly photo.....so whos really at fault here?

There is a wonderful Gibbon rehabilitation project on Phuket. I was there in February and felt the tears flow as the staff told of how the animals were saved from abuse / dismemberment / revenge attacks. It's free, although you have to pay B200 to enter the nature park at Bang Pae.