Wild Monkey Breaks Into Home, Kills 63-Year-Old Man in Thailand

A wild monkey broke into a home in Thailand and fatally attacked a man in his 60s, prompting growing concerns among tourists planning year-end trips to the country that "monkeys have become a danger rather than a tourist attraction."

According to the British Daily Mail and other foreign media outlets Wednesday, Chaipoom Saeng, 63, was found dead at his home in Yala province in southern Thailand on Monday with dozens of bite wounds covering his body. He was found slumped against a wall, clutching a metal rod in his hand, which police believe he used to try to fend off the monkey. Dried bloodstains and animal footprints were also found around the body.

An autopsy revealed he had been dead for two to three days, with no signs of homicide. A nephew identified the body, and when police arrived at the scene, the monkey in question was reportedly perched on a ceiling beam, glaring down at them. Local authorities have issued a kill order for the animal.

Village residents testified that the monkey "had been violent, chasing female monkeys and attacking people." They added that it had bitten Chaipoom's shoulder 10 days earlier and had recently charged at a family, forcing them to move away.

Such "monkey crimes" are becoming increasingly serious not only in Thailand but across Asia. In September, a pack of wild monkeys in India kidnapped a two-month-old baby and dropped it into a water-filled drum, resulting in the infant's death.

Thai local governments have already escalated to deploying "public force." Last year, Lopburi province established a "monkey suppression team" and authorized physical restraint using animal slingshots and capture cages. Previously, monkeys were captured only using tranquilizers, but the policy changed after continued attacks on people during the time it took for sedatives to take effect.

Local media noted that "monkeys have gone from being tourist attractions to urban occupiers." The cause has been attributed to tourists freely feeding monkeys over many years, and after tourist numbers dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic, incidents of monkeys raiding urban areas in search of food have surged.

Monkeys now commonly steal mobile phones, food, and merchandise from shops, climb onto cars and cause disturbances, and hundreds engage in "territorial battles" on city streets, causing traffic jams.