The rescue came to light after Facebook user ‘Cro Nos’ shared photos and video of the incident online, drawing widespread praise for the fisherman’s actions.
According to the post, the rescue took place at about 9:30am while ‘Capt Nott’ of ‘Noah Fishing’ was working in the bay near Koh Maphrao.
The fisherman noticed a monkey swimming in open water and appearing exhausted after what is believed to have been a long journey from nearby Koh Siray, a distance of more than five kilometres.
Fearing the animal would not survive, he carefully manoeuvred his boat alongside the monkey and threw out a life jacket for it to hold on to, allowing it to climb aboard before transporting it safely to the opposite shore.
The Facebook post quickly attracted attention, with many social media users praising the fisherman for his compassion and quick response, saying his actions likely saved the monkey’s life.
It remains unclear how the monkey ended up in the sea or why it attempted the long swim.