tomcat007

I’ll be staying at the St.Regis Bangkok and will be going to the Tiger Temple at Wat Pa Luangta. What is the best way to get there? By public transport or by car? Should I book one through the hotel or is there a cheaper way?

forumpersona999

It's over 200km North West of the city near Kachanaburi. You will need to get a rental car and drive yourself or charter a taxi. Public transport would be a PITA.

You are aware of what goes on at that place, right ?

tomcat007

How much would a charter taxi cost?

I read it is supposed to be a buddhist temple that cares for about 100 tigers.

CrazyInteg

EDITED
Possibly drugged, although reports say they are not, and possibly abused.

Wikipedia's page about the tiger "temple" is mostly about negative issues with the place.

trekker954

Have you been there? I have. I would be the first to say if they drug the tigers, but happy to report they do not. I have seen some horrible side road displays of tigers, camels, monkeys especially in India that are drugged.

Tiger Temple and Elephant village were two places that I saw lots of love for the animals. There were numerous foreign volunteers as well.

Try and go on the early morning VIP tour. I took a private tour "Tour with Tong". I was picked up around 4 a.m. Private driver and private guide who spoke English and took over 100 photos of me interacting with the animals with my camera.

We made a stop at the Bridge over the River Kwai, then onto Tiger Temple. When we arrived there were school children and others who were brought in for the VIP Tour. Thre were only about 8 of us and of 8 only 5 who were brave enough to interact. The tour guide provided the food we are expected to give to the monks. Typically dried foods. We then walk to the temple while the monks chant and you can have breakfast with the monks. A hot buffet is provided, but I knew I wouldn't want to eat anything like that, so ate my muffin in the car that I brought with me. While the monks are chanting (they'll chant long if there are school children there), you get to play with the baby tigers if part of the VIP tour. They are very protective of the cubs and do not want you to pick them up, but play and pet them on the ground. Tied up along the side are the older cubs (7 months when I was there in 2011)...you can bottle feed them. Early in the morning all the cats are quite a handful (that is why I know they aren't drugged). The volunteers show you how to stand so you do not get hurt if they lunge and how to bottle feed them.

Next up is you walk the 7 month olds to the exercise pen. This was fun. like walking a dog on a leash. walk when they walk, stop when they stop and OMG, mine wanted to climb a tree. lol In the exercise pens, five of us each had one of two volunteers, plus extra volunteers because the cubs were loose. We had there toys for them to play with. Again, NOT DRUGGED. the cats had a blast.

Next up, giving a 13 months old a bath. These cats are getting bigger. Oh you could give them food too. I was a little scared to do that. But gave them the bath. Didn't last too long, before he got up and walked away. I didn't object.

Then I walked with a volunteer on each side a 2 year old (enormous) to the valley. In the valley the VIPs were put in a cage of sort and the cats were let loose to run around with the Tiger man in a pond. Lots of fun, great photos.

This tour last the morning. It was getting extremely hot and by then the cats probably looked drugged as they ran around all morning and was exhausted. There is an area where they keep the older cats that the public isn't allowed, and I do imagine life isn't as great for them there. But I don't want to comment since I didn't see it.

I was invited back to do some activity in the afternoon, but had something else on my agenda.

Next up we hit Elephant Village, where I had my own elephant who I fed bananas to, played with in the River Kwai which was surprisingly clean. We had a water fight, I sat on him and he picked me up in his trunk. All this was under the eye of his trainer. So I felt safe.

So if you want to go to Tiger Temple, let me say it was one of the best excursions I ever took. People look at my photos and think I must be out of my mind, but I love animals.

On the way back to Bangkok, we stopped at a restaurant where my lunch was included and it was yummy.

There was some museum we were to stop at, but I was exhausted and hot. I also wanted to get back to my hotel for a martini party.

tomcat007

Thanks for sharing your experience!

I'm going for the Tiger Cub feeding experience in the afternoon, so wanted to know how long the journey would take by cab and how much would it cost to keep the cab for the whole day.

dsquared37

Apologies but anecdotal evidence is not convincing.

These setting are self propagating scenarios whereby tourists pay money and then more animals are brought in with that money.... it doesn't matter whether they are domesticated (as some elephants are) or caught wild specifically for these 'tourist venues' (which both are).

transpac

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my...This "temple" has been in the news lately. Missing tigers, religious freedom, animal cruelty, probably some dodgy finances, this one's a classic.

Standoff at Tiger Temple ends with bears removed to new house in Chonburi

After almost 24-hour standoff at the Tiger Temple in Saiyok district of Kanchanaburi between about 200 protesting monks, novices, local residents, and some 600 authorities, six Asian black bears were finally removed from the temple to their new sanctuary in Chonburi late today.

The mission to remove the Asian black or Moon bears from the Tiger Temple was ordered by the director-general of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, after authorities tried desperately to negotiate the temple abbot to allow park officials to take the six bears in cages out of the temple compound.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/sta...se-in-chonburi


Cranes help lift bears out of Tiger Temple

The Nation April 4, 2015 1:00 am

FOREST RANGERS and wildlife protection officials yesterday retrieved six moon bears - a protected species - from dens at a famous temple in Kanchanaburi known to tourists as the Tiger Temple, despite resistance by resident monks and their followers.

The animals were sedated before being hoisted by a crane onto trucks carrying cages and taken away unbeknown to the many protesters, who had blocked the temple's entrance.

The bears are now at a wildlife breeding facility in Chon Buri's Bang Lamung district.

Action will also be taken in response to 143 or 146 Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation-registered Bengal tigers being kept at the same temple, Wat Pa Luangta Maha Bua, which also serves as a zoo, said senior department official Kraiwut Iamnont.

After the dramatic retrieval of the bears, which was carried out by a 400-strong team made up of department staff, police and soldiers, a petition was filed with local police accusing people of keeping a protected species without permission.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nati...-30257392.html


Tiger Temple in chaos

The Tiger Temple in Saiyok district of Kanchanaburi province was turned into a chaotic scene of protest when a combined force of over 100 police, soldiers and park officials seized six Asian black bears and tried to take them out of the temple yesterday.

The standoff between officials and monks continued in the morning today.

The officials who were led by national park chief Somsak Pompet came with a court warrant to search the temple again after they were not allowed entry the day earlier to check three missing tigers from the temple.

At the inspection of the temple yesterday, they seized six Asian black or Moon bears after the temple staff could not produce official documents that they were obtained legitimately.

But as officials tried to leave the temple ground with the bears in a cage, they were blocked by almost a hundred of monks and staff led by the abbot.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/tiger-temple-in-chaos


Missing tigers remain a mystery at Tiger Temple

Missing tigers remain a mystery at Tiger TempleMissing tigers remain a mystery at Tiger Temple

Police, soldiers and relevant park authorities are returning to the so-called Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi province today as missing tigers remains a mystery.

They made returning with court order after yesterday inspection of the temple failed to get any progress after the temple refused to give cooperation for the combined team.

The team was conducting an investigation into an alleged disappearance of three tigers from the temple following fresh complaints.

Adisorn Nutdumrong, director-general of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, led police, soldiers, veterinarians and officials from the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry to the Wat Pa Luangta Maha Bua Temple to probe the alleged disappearance of three tigers from the temple yesterday.

The three tigers are among seven Bengal tigers which the department under former director general Plodprasob Suraswadee seized from the temple in 2001 but left them under care of the temple after it promised to look after them.

The three missing tigers are 3-7 years of age.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/mis...t-tiger-temple

transpac

It looks like this tourist attraction is about to become a thing of the past. Also, last week someone posted that the head monk did a runner to FRA in first class on TG.



Parks chief asks temple to allow transfer of tigers

The Nation April 20, 2015 1:00 am

146 big cats due to be handed over to state centres on Friday

DEPARTMENT of National Parks Wildlife and Plant Concervation has asked Wat Pa Luang Ta Bua Foundation - the body overseeing the "Tiger Temple" in Kanchanaburi - to hand over 146 tigers to authorities this coming Friday.

A special working group has been set up by the department to deal with the transfer of the tigers.

Department director general Nipon Chotibal said parks officials had sent a request to the foundation to seek cooperation in transferring the tigers so they can be nurtured in proper facilities. All of the 146 tigers are due to be relocated on April 24.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nati...-30258295.html



DSI joins hunt for temple's three missing tigers

The Nation April 23, 2015 1:00 am

Representatives of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department yesterday submitted more documents for the Department of Special Investigation (DSI)'s probe into the alleged disappearance of three Bengali tigers at Wat Pa Luang Ta Bua, aka the "Tiger Temple", in Kanchanaburi province.

The documents were submitted by veterinarian Somchai Wisetmongkolchai, who was in charge of the tigers impounded by the Royal Forestry Department and left under the temple's care pending relocation, said Pol Major Woranan Srilum, chief of the DSI Special Cases Management Centre.

Somchai had previously asked the agency to probe this case but the DSI thought it wasn't within the frame of a special case, and it set out initially just to investigate facts for it, Woranan explained.

Somchai claimed three tigers were missing and evidence suggested involvement of temple insiders.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nati...-30258547.html

Dr. HFH

Sorry to see this go away. I really enjoyed the opportunity to feed and play with the babies. An unusual experience.

transpac

It looks like the government failed...or will just take their "cut".

DNP, temple achieve an agreement on tigers

THE NATION April 25, 2015 1:00 am

After what began as a big showdown, the Tiger Temple in Kancha-naburi and wildlife officials finally found middle ground yesterday by agreeing that the 146 tigers would be kept in the temple compound but would be seen as state assets.

Each tiger will be registered and electronically tagged.

However, the agreement between Wat Pa Luang Ta Maha Bua and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) does not include the Asian white-chested bear and hornbills - both endangered and protected species. The department will still proceed with taking action over the charge of possessing protected species against the temple.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nati...-30258745.html

transpac

Karma


Kanchanaburi:-

The abbot of the Temple of Tigers or Wat Pa Luang Ta Bua in Kanchanaburi’s Saiyok district was badly injured when a tiger he was pulling along pawed his face and bit his right arm.

Luang Ta Jan, the abbot, needed to receive an operation that took about four hours to cure his wounds and broken arm.

Temple officials said the abbot was pulling along a male tiger, which is about seven or eight years, to walk with him at 1:30 pm when the tiger attacked him.

The tiger pawed the abbot’s face, causing a big wound down from his forehead to his mouth. The tiger also bit the abbot’s right arm once and let it go.

The tiger seemed to be frightened when the abbot pulled the rope around its neck.

He was rushed to the district hospital before he was forwarded to the Thonkarn Hospital.

Officials said the tiger, which is called Hern, is among 146 tigers seized by the National parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department. The department let the temple take care of the tigers on a condition that the temple must not use the tigers to illegally reap benefit.

The department checked the number of the tigers at the temple on April 24 and agreed to allow the temple to continue to care tigers.

Earlier, the department planned to relocate all the tigers from the temple to its wild animal shelters in Ratchaburi but the temple protest and blocked the attempt. The temple claimed that all the tigers have been tamed and would not harm the people.

transpac

Looks like another run to shut this "temple" down and relocate the tigers? Not sure this "effort" will be any more successful than previous attempts?

‘Tiger Temple’ to Give Up Big Cats, Activist Says

KANCHANABURI — Wildlife officials will remove 50 tigers from the infamous Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi province tomorrow, according to animal rights activists, who have long accused the facility of being complicit in trafficking the very animals it claims to protect.

Nine months after abandoning a previous effort to remove about 100 tigers from the facility, wildlife officials reportedly met with temple abbot Phra Wisutthisannen on Tuesday to discuss the welfare of the animals.

The head of one organization campaigning for the tigers to be removed said the first 50 would be removed Wednesday.

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail...te=06&section=

transpac

Exclusive: Tiger Temple Accused of Supplying Black Market

New report alleges that monks at a monastery in Thailand have been speed breeding the big cats for the illegal trade.

I’m at Thailand’s famed Tiger Temple, three hours’ drive northwest of Bangkok, sitting cross-legged opposite a youngish, saffron-robed monk named Jakkrit Apisuthipangsakul.

An opulent altar looms behind him, centered on a large Buddha plated in gold leaf, along with smaller statues and religious objects strewn with fresh flowers. It’s framed by a pair of elephant tusks. Photos and idealized murals depict the temple’s founder and leader, a bespectacled abbot, Phra Acham Phoosit (Chan) Kanthitharo, who is sometimes pictured with tigers. Jakkrit is his secretary.

The temple, formally known as Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yannasampanno, doubles as an attraction for visitors who want hands-on contact with some of its 147 captive tigers. Busloads of tourists come to pet and feed cubs, play with tigers, walk them on leashes, and take selfies with a tiger’s head in their lap. The enterprise is estimated to generate income equivalent to three million dollars a year.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2...ficking-laos0/

transpac

Sucker-punches tiger, classy.