Motorbike mayhem: Monkey wreaks havoc on bike seat in Phuket

A large monkey at Khao Rang (also known as Monkey Hill) in Phuket Town tore apart the seat of a parked motorbike, prompting an assistant village headman to issue a warning for locals and tourists to be cautious around the monkeys.

Suriyan Mai-on, the assistant village headman for Thalang district, shared a video of the incident online today, September 9, generating numerous comments from netizens advising caution near the popular monkey spot.

The incident took place near a designated parking area close to a restaurant, a known hotspot for monkey activity. Suriyan explained that although no monkeys were initially visible when he parked his motorbike near the fitness area, a large monkey soon appeared. The animal used its teeth to rip the motorbike seat cover and then used its hands to pull out the stuffing underneath.

Suriyan urged people to steer clear of aggressive monkeys and to avoid interfering with them, even if they are damaging personal property.

Notably, many signs around the park warn visitors against feeding the monkeys. Suriyan encouraged visitors to park their vehicles away from areas frequented by monkeys to avoid damage, especially families with small children, as the monkeys may approach in search of food.

Suchada Wachirabirak, who has been working as a garbage collector at Khao Rang Viewpoint for 24 years, confirmed that the monkeys have always been mischievous. However, she noted that their antics attract tourists.

“There are about 80 monkeys here, and they often scavenge for food and cause damage to cars.”

Despite local efforts to manage the monkey population, including neutering programmes, the problem persists for unsuspecting visitors. Suchada added that these monkeys will still be an issue, despite the measures to manage their population.

“Even with these measures, the monkeys continue to be an issue. Tourists should be aware and take precautions.”

Local officers continue to monitor the area and implement strategies to mitigate the impact of the monkey population on visitors and their property, reported Phuket News.