Villagers living in Nua Khlong district of Krabi province have called on officials to deal with long-tailed macaques, which have left their habitat in the mangrove forest to forage for food in their communities and along the beaches.
They complain that the monkeys are causing a nuisance by ransacking garbage bins looking for food, destroying vegetable patches, invading food shops and breaking roof tiles.
They are also concerned that the monkeys may drive tourists away and damage the image of Krabi, which is well known for its Phi-Phi island group, white sandy beaches and green forests.
Suwat Suksiri, chief of the Thung Talay Non-Hunting Zone on Lanta Island, explained that there are simply too many monkeys. He suggested that they should be a sterilisation program every five years to reduce their population.
He also appealed to everyone to stop providing food for the monkeys.
