Animal welfare in Thailand

Within the act, the term "owner" is deemed to cover all family members, domestic help, and any friends assigned to take care of a pet.

Neglect includes improper housing and transportation of animals, which can lead to injury and death.

[6] Pet owners who dump unwanted dogs and cats at temples can now be charged with abandoning and endangering the animal.

The amendment, initiated by the Department of Livestock Development of the Agriculture Ministry, would require the registration of pets.

Trafficked animals can be passed off as being locally reared, with birth and ownership documentation falsified.

[8][9] Animal welfare advocates have called for better legislation and systems to document the origin of elephants in tourist camps and other locations across Thailand.

[10] The move led to a more widespread understanding of elephant welfare issues within the wider tourism industry.

[17] While concerns about the treatment of big cats in Thailand have been raised for year, cruelty against photo-prop (selfie) animals, tigers, lions and ligers, is still observed at all the 11 zoos across Thailand visited by an animal rights charity in 2023.

When on stage throughout the shows, trainers also had a sturdy whip to direct and control the behaviour of the tigers.

[25] In a 2015 – 2016 research conducted by World Animal Protection, 12% of the tigers observed in 17 venues providing direct visitor-tiger interaction in Thailand were found to have behavioural problems.

These included stereotypical or overly aggressive behaviours such as repetitive pacing or biting their tails.

These behaviours most commonly occur when animals feel they cannot cope with stressful environment or situations.