Thai singer eats protected lizard, faces backlash

A famous Thai country singer has come under fire over her daring culinary tastes. The singer, Kratai Phannipha, filmed her husband cooking a spicy Thai dish containing one unusual type of meat- a monitor lizard, which is a protected species in Thailand. A photo shows the couple later chowing down on the, erm, ‘exotic’ meal.

One angry tweeter who went viral for their reaction to Kratai’s meal choice has pointed out that the monitor lizard is No.40 on the country’s protected species list. Meanwhile, Kratai’s defenders have pointed out that eating it is quite normal in the countryside, even if her choice to post the video wasn’t Kratai’s brightest decision.

Some social media users have also criticised Kratai’s husband, Phaiboon, lamenting that he should know better because he is a teacher.

In the past, monitor lizards were heavily hunted and farmed to export their skins. But in the 1990s, several conservation movements managed to get monitor lizards onto Thailand’s protected species list. By law, monitor lizards can no longer be hunted, collected, or kept in possession. Keeping a monitor lizard is punishable by a fine of up to 500,000 baht or up to 5 years in jail. Due to such movements, the number of monitor lizards has hugely multiplied.

Of course, monitors can often be a nuisance in Thailand. Last month, a monitor lizard caused a flood in Bangkok when it got stuck in a water pump. Even though some believe the creatures bring good luck, many are terrified to stumble across monitors that have gotten into their houses.

So perhaps there are people out there who are happy to see Kratai and her husband munching on the reptile.

SOURCE: Daily News | Bangkok Post