Mr Pongchart inspected two sites in Rassada on Wednesday (Sept 18) that are popular for people to visit local monkeys: one at King Kaew Soi 9, the other at Soi Tha Jeen.
The inspection was carried out to follow up on the installation of signs at the two sites that informed visitors of the dangers of inappropriate interaction with the monkeys, and general information about the what monkeys should and should not be fed, and signs indicating exactly where monkeys are to be fed.
The signs are in Thai, English, Chinese and Russian languages.
“We also have officers to give some suggestions to tourists,” Mr Pongchart said.
“If tourists follow the suggestions and warnings shown on the signs, the monkeys will remain separated in small groups and stay at each feeding point,” he said.
However, at the King Kaew Soi 9 sites, officers saw a monkey mother with three babes and around 35 adolescent monkeys.
“We will evaluate the effectiveness of monkey population controls in the next three months,” Mr Pongchart said.
The evaluation to come follows a mass-sterilisation program carried out last year to curtail the rising populations of wild monkeys across Phuket aid fears of monkeys spreading diseases and encroaching into residential areas.
Oddly, the inspection team saw no monkeys at the Soi Tha Jeen site, but local residents told officers that a group of monkeys comes to the area every morning.
Mr Pongchart said he would discuss the issues identified during the inspection visits with officers at Rassada Municipality for further consideration on possible action later.
Wiesel | 20 September 2019 - 11:19:51