Krabi marine park to fine foreign tourist for violating monkey-feeding ban

A marine national park in Krabi announced on Sunday that it is working to locate and fine a foreign tourist who allegedly violated the park’s monkey-feeding ban.

Tourist Caught Feeding Monkeys Chips on Phi Phi Island

The incident occurred at Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, where a foreign tourist, believed to be a Western male, was seen feeding potato chips to long-tailed crab-eating macaques.

In a statement posted to its official Facebook page, the park said officials were working to identify and fine the tourist for breaching park rules.

Warning Signs Posted in Multiple Languages

The park emphasised that it has installed warning signs throughout the area in Thai, English, and Chinese, clearly stating that feeding monkeys is prohibited, and violators are subject to a 1,000-baht fine.

Incident Captured in Viral Video Clip

The park's response followed a viral video clip posted by Facebook user Patrick Pokpong Suwannasith at 2:37 p.m. on Sunday. The video shows a group of Western tourists standing in waist- to chest-deep water near a small island adjacent to a larger beach area.

In the video, a young man is seen feeding potato chips directly to macaques, which descended from the tiny island to collect the snacks from his hand. Other tourists were seen watching, filming with their phones, and laughing in excitement.

Online Reactions and Calls for Harsher Penalties

By Monday noon, the video had gained more than 15,900 reactions, 2,100 angry comments, and over 3,200 shares. One of the people who shared the video was the administrator of the popular Facebook page Drama Addict.

Drama Addict criticised the act, noting that feeding wild monkeys is strictly prohibited due to the risk of altering their natural behaviour. The post also questioned why the group’s tour guide failed to intervene.

Offence Occurred at ‘Ao Ling Sam Hat’ Monkey Bay

In a subsequent update at 7:35 p.m. on Sunday, the park confirmed the incident took place at Ao Ling Sam Hat (Bay of Three Beaches of Monkeys) on Phi Phi Don Island. The location is known for its population of wild monkeys, and signs are placed there to discourage tourists from feeding them.

“Officials are now tracing the tourist in question to take action in accordance with the rules and the law,” the post concluded.

Public Suggests Increasing the Fine

Several Thai commenters expressed concern that the 1,000-baht fine may be too low to serve as a deterrent. Many urged the park to consider raising the fine to better protect local wildlife and reinforce park regulations.