Pattaya plans to send animal-control officers to Koh Larn to relocate aggressive monkeys following an attack on a young Russian tourist.
Jaran Tiebmuang, chief of the Security Department on the island, confirmed authorities recently chased away monkeys from areas popular with tourists following the Jan. 4 incident near the Great Face Cliff in which a 4-year-old suffered a severe monkey bite to his leg.
Local vendor Chalee Baophima, 50, said the boy had poked the monkey with a stick while teasing it with food before he was attacked.
Chalee said the Great Face area was home to about 12 monkeys and only one had a history of attacking tourists, several times. On Jan. 5, all signs of the animals were gone.
Signs in English, Thai, Chinese and Russian have been put up to warn tourists not to feed the monkeys.
Signs in English, Thai, Chinese and Russian already warned Nuan Beach tourists not to feed the monkeys, but many ignore the warnings and tease them with food anyway, Chalee said.
Jaran said animal-control officers soon would round up aggressive monkeys island-wide and relocate them to an unpopulated area.
In addition, larger warning signs would be put up and patrols increased to monitor tourist behavior.
