Tough new laws to help clear Phuket beaches of animal touts

[webfact]

Tough new laws to help clear Phuket beaches of animal touts
Phuket Gazette


Poachers kill gibbon mothers to take their babies and exploit them for the tourism industry. Photo: Gibbon Rehabilitation Project

PHUKET: -- The stakes will be raised for those engaged in the illegal, exotic-animal trade once the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment signs a new law draft, which is expected to take place after the Songkran break.

“For more than 20 years we have witnessed the illegal killing and exploitation of endangered and protected wild animals for tourism. Every day, criminals are taking young wild animals such as loris, gibbons and monkeys, to tourist destinations such as Phuket, Samui, Krabi, Pattaya, the Floating Market and elsewhere in the country,” said Edwin Wiek, the founder of NGO 'Wildlife Friends Foundation of Thailand (WFFT)'.

Mr Wiek hopes that more severe punishments outlined in the new draft of the Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act BE 2535 (1992) will finally act as a deterrent for the trade. The maximum fine for illegal possession of protected animals will be increased to 100,000 baht, and the maximum prison term will be raised to 10 years.

“The killing of, or trading in, protected animals will carry a maximum fine of one million baht,” Mr Wiek said.

Mr Wiek was especially optimistic about the inclusion of a new regulation that requires those caught in possession of protected animals to foot the bill for care of the animals while their case is processed.

Full story: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Tough-new-laws-help-clear-Phuket-beaches/63646?desktopversion#ad-image-0


-- Phuket Gazette 2016-04-11

[LivinginKata]

"The maximum fine for illegal possession of protected animals will be increased to 100,000 baht, and the maximum prison term will be raised to 10 years."

But what will the minimum fine be ? And how much is the minium fine right now ?

Usual BS ...

[sonos99]

Good to see the penalties increased but police in Phuket have stated that slow Loris touts are not a priority and that they don't have time to respond to or investigate reports of slow Loris touts.

Increasing penalties will have no effect if there are no arrests.

[Somtamnication]

It will not work if Kathu police are too busy to police.

[arunsakda]

Target the source of the problem, tourists patronise animal touts should also be punished.

90 days CUSTODY and fine $USD10,000. After a few are jailed word will get out in international press and problem sorted, If somebody approached me on the beach to sell drugges I would ignore them. Obvious this is the same kind of thing so why are the foreigners who support it blameless?

Sent via a series of tubes

Edited April 12, 2016 by arunsakda

[colinneil]

Tourists create the problem wanting to get photos with furry little creatures.

As previously said jail a few, message will soon get out.