Pattaya, Thailand.

Exploitation of tarsiers in Pattaya, (Walking Street tourist area), Thailand….

Help: These small gentle creatures are being abused in Pattaya city, Thailand!

In Pattaya city, late at night/early in the morning, (around midnight), in the touristy Walking Steet area, the tarsiers are offered to travellers to hold and handle. The owner of the animals offers his flash camera for a fee, or alternatively allows tourists for a fee, to photograph the animal using their own cameras.

These animals have large extremely light sensitive night-vision eyes. Their heads recoil back at the bright camera flash every time they are photographed. They are handled and photographed like that repeatedly. It is really depressing to know that these creatures are being regularly abused like that. The owners of the animals are only concerned in making money by exploiting them in this way.

Most tourists are unaware just how sensitive the large night vision eyes of these animals are. Some tourists hold and cuddle the animals while smoking their cigarettes, and subject them to their cigarette smoke. The animals are always in danger of being dropped, and injured especially by drunken tourists.
I wish there was something that could be done to prevent this cruel exploitation, of these gentle, sensitive, creatures.

The animals are then also offered to tourists during daylight hours, along busy Pattaya Beach road between Soi (street) 10 and Walking Street.

Frank