Thailand: Animal attractions run out of money
18:55 JST, February 23, 2022
Thailand’s elephant and tiger attractions have run out of money and options, says operators, who pleaded for government assistance on Feb. 13.
The message was delivered at the Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai, where tourism commissioner Sirinthorn Ramsut and Pheu Thai MPs met with zoo operators to seek a path out of the business downturn caused by COVID-19.
Sirinthorn highlighted the government’s low-interest loan program to revive businesses but said it was still insufficient and difficult to access.
Pacha Rattanaphan, president of Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association, said Thailand’s five tiger attractions had run out of cash after failing to secure financial credit from banks.
He added that elephant sanctuaries faced difficulty securing loans as their land was often undocumented. He called on the government to allow the sanctuaries to put up their elephants as collateral for loans to buy animal feed in the absence of income from tourists.
He also urged authorities to develop sustainable-crop projects to feed tigers and elephants.
The managing director of Khum Sue Trakarn, which operates two Tiger Kingdoms in Chiang Mai and one in Phuket, said their income had dropped from almost 1 million baht per day pre-COVID to zero over the past two years.
“The company still has to bear the burden of feeding and housing the existing 220 tigers,” Kochakorn Chaibutr said. “We used to have about 400 employees but now only 30% of the workforce is left. The company still needs working capital for expenses of 4-5 million baht per month. Kochakorn called on the government to find a financial institution that would loan money to his company.
Wittaya Phongsiri, owner of the Lanna Kingdom Elephant Sanctuary in Chiang Mai’s Mae Taeng district, said elephant attractions in the northern province have suffered for the past two years of the pandemic.
"World" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
China Mutes Memorialization of Reformer Hu Yaobang; Memories Could Spark Critique of Xi Administration
-
UNRWA Director Describes Catastrophic Destruction in Gaza; Says Relief Trucks Robbed, ‘People’s Hearts Destroyed’
-
Search Continues for Missing People After 72-Hour Window Ends in Quake-Hit Taiwan; Weather Complicating Rescue Efforts
-
Former U.S. Pacific Command Head Touts Alliance; Harris Sees China, World Through ‘Dark Lens’
-
N. Korea Fires Ballistic Missile into Sea of Japan
JN ACCESS RANKING
- M6.0 Earthquake Hits Japan’s Tohoku Region; Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi Prefectures Observe 4 on Japanese Scale With No Risk of Tsunami
- Cherry Blossoms Draw Crowd to Tokyo’s Ueno Park; Viewing Season Kicks Off to Slow Start
- China Mutes Memorialization of Reformer Hu Yaobang; Memories Could Spark Critique of Xi Administration
- Shinkansen Services Suspended After Man ‘Searches for Phone’ on Tracks; Disruption Affects About 14,000 Passengers
- Whaling Mother Ship Built in Japan for 1st Time in 73 Years