Pink chicks outrage animal activist on Koh Lanta

PHUKET: A group of brightly colored baby chickens tied up in a plastic bag has outraged foreigners visiting Koh Lanta, south of Phuket.

Tourist Gina Jones, 33, and her husband were strolling down a beach on Koh Lanta when the bright colored fowl being sold as kids toys caught their attention, reported The Daily Mail on Monday.

The pair then took a video of the dyed chicks and posted it on YouTube (click here), unleashing heavy criticism and claims of animal cruelty.

In response to the posting of ‘Chicks dyed and sold in plastic bags as TOYS on Thai island’ on line, Koh Lanta District Chief Duriyan Narongkul ordered an investigation.

“Though we are searching for the vendors, I’m not really sure what we could do if we did find them. It is unclear if such a practice is really animal cruelty or not,” Mr Duriyan said.

“Chickens are not a protected species, so people have the right to own them and sell them.

“It is actually normal to see dyed chickens being sold throughout Thailand – not just on Koh Lanta. Perhaps it was just shocking to the visitors.”

However, Mr Duriyan did point out that if they caught vendors torturing the chicks by keeping them in completely sealed containers where breathing properly would be an issue, his team would take action.

“First, we would ask them to stop what they were doing. If they failed to comply, we would ask them not to sell such chickens in the Koh Lanta area,” he said.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong