Tiger temple scare

BANGKOK Thailand’s top-of-the-line tour operators are adamant they are not promoting the controversial Tiger Temple, or Wat Pa Luang Ta Maha Bua temple in Kanchanaburi.
They claim to have stopped offering tours to the so-called Tiger Temple for safety and animal rights reasons.
The temple was first promoted by a BBC documentary over a decade ago. The positive images prompted UK tourists to request a visit to the temple. But the Tourism Authority of Thailand has always been wary of promoting the temple in its campaigns recognising the potential safety risks involved.
inside no 2Unfortunately it has taken years for tour operators to recognise that the attraction was unsafe and the treatment of tigers was also challenged by animal rights organisations who claimed it was both cruel and commercially exploitive.
Destination Asia managing director, Pornthip Hirunkate, told TTR Weekly that the company decided to tell its overseas customers it would not offer the tiger temple visit in its tours of Kanchanaburi.
“We cut the temple out of our travel programme around two months ago due to a series of incidents and the controversy over animal rights.”
She said: “It is not good to promote the temple… there are too many questions from people and travellers…European tourists are concerned about the issue of safety, environment and animal rights…it is better to stop promoting the temple.”
Both Australian and British TV were responsible for casting the tiger temple in a positive light and establishing it as a tourist attraction without any concern for the safety of tourists or animal rights.
About two months ago travel trade media reports surfaced that suggested the tiger temple had been closed down by the government, which was not the case.
Last week, a tiger mauled the abbot, Luang Ta Chan, who was badly injured and had to undergo four hours of surgery.
Association of Thai Travel Agents president, Charoen Wangananont, confirmed that the incident would impact tour operator support for the temple.
“Generally, tour operators have their own strategy, however, the recent accident will deter travel agencies from including the temple in their programmes.”
However, ATTA is often criticised for sitting on the fence and not providing its membership with direction on what is the ethical and a responsible position for travel companies to adopt.
They are left to fend for themselves and often decide that cash in the pocket is better than worrying about a tiger’s welfare or a the remote chance of an accident . That is until there is a life threatening incident like the one involving the abbot.
However the ATTA president when pressed for a comment did say: “Safety is a priority issue especially when the travel programme includes activities with wild animals.”
He claimed that foreign tourists visit the tiger temple mainly for CSR activities but declined to identify the companies that believe their staff will benefit from petting tigers or how it teaches social responsible actions.
Wild Animal Nurture Group director, Nares Chombun, said the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department will discuss what will happen to the tigers. They may be moved from the temple, but it is unlikely. The incident will be forgotten and in the not too distant future travel companies will start to sell the trip once more if they believe there is a commercial gain.
DNP officials counted 147 tigers at the temple and have ordered the temple to micro-chip the animals so they can be monitored.
Last month, the department banned the temple from charging tourists admission fees or money to take photos with the tigers. (Admission fee for Thais is THB300 and foreigners THB600).
That it in itself should prompt responsible tour operators from offering the trip as like so many tourist attractions, racial discrimination is built into the fee structure that should not be tolerated by responsible tour operators.
ATTA has nothing to say about that subject either.

sourced:ttrweekly.com