Monkey mayhem: Phuket officials tackle trespass trouble and rampaging macaques in Khao Toh Sae

The Phuket vice governor chaired a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the issue of trespassing on Khao Toh Sae, Phuket, and the increasing cases of macaques attacking tourists and locals alike.

Held at the offices of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (PPAO), government officials including those from the Phuket Provincial Ombudsman’s Office and Phuket Forestry were in attendance. Complaints have been put forward to the Provincial Ombudsman’s Office which prompted the meeting.

Instructions were made to the Phuket Forestry Office to notify sellers that the sale of products in the protected forest areas is forbidden. A team consisting of staff from the Phuket forestry, Region 8 police, PPAO officials, Internal Security, and other officers will be delegated to stand guard in Khao Sae Tao. Vendors will be removed from February 1.

A total of 300 rai (480,000 square metres) of protected forest area was blocked to stop trespassing. A checkpoint will be established at the foot of the hill with signs stipulating proper conduct and prohibitions. The guard post is proposed to be in effect for one month initially, reported Phuket News.

The Khao Phra Thaeo Nature and Wildlife Study Centre is tasked with tackling the issue of macaques which continued to wreak havoc in the vicinity. Relocation options would need to be explored. Phuket and Ratsada Municipalities as well as the PPAO are responsible for cleanliness in the area. The PPAO has proposed initiatives including a tram system for transporting tourists and locals to and from Khao Toh Sae.

In related news, two monkeys bit a three month old baby boy at his home on Koh Mai Phai, an island in the southern province of Phang Nga, leaving the infant in a coma. A Thai woman, Jiraporn Galong, told PPTV HD that her nephew, three month old Muallim Ard-dee, was with his grandmother when the incident happened on November 13. He was drinking milk in his cradle while his grandmother fell asleep.