PHUKET: Two gibbon touts on the holiday destination of Phi Phi made two million baht a month during the high season and as much as 200,000 baht a month during the low season, a wildlife officer said yesterday.
Krabi province official Suwat Suksiri said: ''It really is not very effective having fines of 1000 baht to 2000 baht when these people can make so much money by conning tourists to have their photo taken with the gibbons. We need higher penalties.''
In response to many complaints, Khun Suwat said he arrested two touts, Bancha Kaisong, 24, and Anan Nadee, 20, outside the Andaman Resort on Phi Phi.
''There are about seven more gibbons still around, being used by touts,''' he said.
''The man we arrested told us his father, his mother, his sister and his brother were all doing it because of the money. There will be others, too.''
The two-and-a-half month old gibbon taken into custody with the arrests was bought at the age of one month for 35,000 baht, the official said.
Many of the gibbons used by touts on Phuket are taken into ''protective custody'' at the Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre on Phuket, which restores gibbons to the wild on Phuket whenever suitable gibbons can be raised and reeducated.
Krabi province official Suwat Suksiri said: ''It really is not very effective having fines of 1000 baht to 2000 baht when these people can make so much money by conning tourists to have their photo taken with the gibbons. We need higher penalties.''
In response to many complaints, Khun Suwat said he arrested two touts, Bancha Kaisong, 24, and Anan Nadee, 20, outside the Andaman Resort on Phi Phi.
''There are about seven more gibbons still around, being used by touts,''' he said.
''The man we arrested told us his father, his mother, his sister and his brother were all doing it because of the money. There will be others, too.''
The two-and-a-half month old gibbon taken into custody with the arrests was bought at the age of one month for 35,000 baht, the official said.
Many of the gibbons used by touts on Phuket are taken into ''protective custody'' at the Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre on Phuket, which restores gibbons to the wild on Phuket whenever suitable gibbons can be raised and reeducated.
They love monkey's business; so arrest them, prosecute them and give them the maximum fine 4,000 Baht and a jail sentence which is of 4 years in jail, familiarly call "Monkeys's House"
Posted by WhistleBlower on August 30, 2015 11:34