LEGAL ISSUES REGARDING HANDLING MONKEYS IN PUBLIC PLACES

Abstract

This research aimed to: 1) examine the problems caused by monkeys in public places; 2) study the laws related to monkey management in public places in Thailand and foreign countries; and 3) analyze legal issues concerning monkey management in public places. This study employed a legal documentary research approach by examining Thai laws, foreign laws, academic documents, research studies, and related materials. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive analysis. The findings revealed that: 1) monkeys in public places have caused various adverse impacts on the public, including physical injuries and threats to public safety, property damage, disruption of economic activities and tourism, public health problems, as well as damage to the agricultural sector and the quality of life of local residents; 2) Thailand has several laws related to monkey management in public places, particularly the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act B.E. 2562 (2019). However, such legislation primarily emphasizes wildlife conservation, whereas India, Japan, and Australia have established legal mechanisms that allow local authorities to play a greater role in managing wildlife-related problems affecting communities; and 3) the major legal issues in Thailand include the absence of specific legislation governing monkey management in public areas, the lack of compensation measures for affected citizens, the concentration of management authority within the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, the absence of clearly defined powers and responsibilities of local administrative organizations, and the lack of legal measures to regulate human behaviors contributing to monkey-related problems and to systematically control monkey populations. The study suggests that legal reforms should be undertaken to support systematic monkey management in communities and public areas, as well as to establish preventive, control, and compensation measures for mitigating the impacts caused by monkeys.