Ban on feeding Toh Sae monkeys now enforced
In response to the escalating issues of macaque-related incidents at Khao Toh Sae in Phuket Town, officials on Feb 1 began their measures to clear the area of illegal vendors selling food for tourists to give macaques on the hill, and preventing tourists themselves from feeding the monkeys.
Locally called ‘Monkey Hill’, Khao Toh Sae is famous for tourists and local residents to visit the large troupe of macaques living on the hill.
However, despite repeated campaigns by local officials for years urging people to not feed the monkeys for their own safety, and numerous signs posted along the road up the hill for people to not feed the monkeys, the practice continues.
Phuket Vice Governor Adul Chuthong launched the latest campaign at 10am, with the installation of a checkpoint on the road leading up the hill.
Present were Watthanaphong Suksai, Director of the Phuket office of Natural Resources and Environment; Thiwat Sidokbuab, Vice President of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (PPAO); and Monchai Saelao, head of the working group assigned by the Provincial Damrongdharma Center (Provicnial Ombudsman’s Office) to attend to the issue.
The mobilisation comes as a result of a meeting of provincial officials to address concerns related to product sales and the increasing incidents of macaques biting and attacking both tourists and locals in the Khao Toh Sae area, explained an official report of the campaign launch.
The resolution of the meeting outlined specific guidelines, including the organisation of product sales and feeding schedules for monkeys, aimed at preventing harm to tourists and local residents.
An operational team including personnel from the Phuket Forestry Office, Region 8 Police and the Phuket branch of the Internal Security
Operations Command (Isoc), which serves as the political arm of the Thai military, has been formed to enforce the measures.
The checkpoint on the road up the hill is to be staffed by five officers for an initial period of one month. The five officers will comprise one officer from the Phuket Forestry Office and one official from the PPAO, as well as three security personnel. One of the security personnel will be provided by the Phuket branch of Isoc while the other two will be from the Volunteer Defense Corps (OrSor).
Bags will be checked, and the bringing of food, including bananas and various fruits, is now prohibited. The precautionary step aims to mitigate the risk of monkeys stealing food from visitors and potentially leading to macaque bites.
Despite the restrictions, efforts to care for the over 800 monkeys on Khao Toh Sae are a priority, officials noted.
Designated feeding points and times will be arranged, with volunteers allowed to provide nourishment under controlled conditions. More signs in both Thai and foreign languages will be displayed, urging tourists to adhere strictly to the guidelines.
People wanting to contribute food for the monkeys are encouraged to contact officials at the checkpoint, who will collect and distribute the donations through volunteers, ensuring an organised and safe approach to managing the macaque population in the area, the official report noted.