Legendary Thai king cobra performer retires after decades of venomous shows
A 62 year old man known as the King of King Cobra in Thailand announced his retirement from a 28-year career in snake exhibitions, most notably kissing the venomous cobra, a stunt which won him Guinness World Records. His decision came after his wife expressed her worry for his safety, given the risk of severe neurotoxicity if bitten, especially at his age.
Thongkum Chaibuddee’s house, located at 90 Moo 6, Khok Sa-Nga Village in Nam Pong, Khon Kaen province, is the only cobra village in Thailand. For years, he has accumulated various notes, photos and certifications, including two Guinness World Record certificates. Displays Thongkum put on at his house were of him smoothly and safely kissing the serpents, a feat that despite seeming dangerous, never led to a snake escaping onto him.
The king cobra performer demonstrated his signature cobra-smooching act numerous times, describing his technique as akin to sucking. It involved him lightly touching or licking the snake’s head. He will keep his five cobra snakes for a while and, if any company approaches him, he will sell them by weighing them at the rate of 1,000 baht (US$29) per kilogram. The snakes weigh between 4 to 5 kilograms, reported Sanook.
Thongkum stated that he decided to retire as he felt satisfied with his life. He no longer needed to pay instalments on his car, and after his wife called him while she was at work, expressing her concern, he decided it was time to retire. He also had doctor’s warnings in his thoughts – they state that there’s a high risk of death for individuals over the age of 60 if bitten by a cobra, as the venom could affect various nerve systems.
In the King Cobra Club, four people, all over 60 years old, had already passed away. Thongkum himself had been bitten by a cobra four times, narrowly escaping death three times. The latest incident happened in Phuket in 2014, where he had to stay in the Intensive Care Unit for two days. He plans to live a peaceful life with his family after his retirement, helping out his 58 year old wife, who sells ceremonial items.
In 2006, Guinness World Records recognised Chaibuddee for kissing 19 cobras, which earned him a gold certificate from Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Museum in Pattaya, Chon Buri. This was not enough for Thongkum who, in 2010, set another record by kissing 34 cobras in just three minutes in Rome, Italy, leading foreigners to acknowledge him as the King Cobra. In, Phuket, he earned a monthly salary of 50,000 baht (US$1,446).
When in Bangkok, before shows were shut down due to Covid-19, his salary was 22,000 baht (US$636), and he earned an average daily tip of 800 baht to 1,000 baht. From this point onward, even though there will not be any snake shows at the Khon Sa-Nga Village King Cobra Club, tourists can still come for a chat, but there will be no snakes on display.
