Poisonous snakes, large spiders, dire scorpions, predatory tigers and crocodiles live in the Thai jungle and zoos. Is it possible to meet dangerous animals in the resorts of Thailand? We will tell you who should not be afraid and who can ruin your vacation.
Monitor lizards
Lizards in Thailand are full. They live in gardens, parks, lakes, river banks, in city canals - khlongah and storm sewers.
Frightening lizards have different sizes - from small creatures 30-40 cm in size to two-meter giants. I was horrified when for the first time I saw a meter lizard a few steps away from me. The beast imposingly crossed the street, not paying attention to motorcycles, cars and dogs standing at a distance.
Lizards are not dangerous for humans. More precisely, they are conditionally dangerous. There are areas with weak poison on their bodies, but Thai monsters are afraid of humans and always try to escape first. The monitor lizard can take a frightening pose to scare you, but will never attack.
Monitor lizards feed on carrion and catch fish. They are generously fed by Thai moths, which give the animals cleanings and unsold food. In Bangkok, we saw how the hostess of a street restaurant threw fish offal into the canal, and the lured monitor with pleasure devoured the offering.
If you want to take pictures of monitor lizards and watch them, come to Bangkok's Lumpini Park. These animals can be found in other city parks, but Lumpini is a real kingdom of the lizard!
Snakes
More than 50 species of dangerous snakes are found in Thailand. Is it scary to go to such a country? We think not! At the resorts, the encounter with snakes is negligible, because this is not the jungle.
For several years of living in Thailand, we have seen only a few snakes crushed by cars on the side of the road. Once on the fence of the neighbors, we noticed a nimble green snake 30 cm long. The hostess came and reassured us that it was a non-venomous snake.
One day we came to a group of Thais who watched a woman beat her cat off a boa constrictor. The taika confidently beat the snake with a stick and did not even ask for help. The cat was saved!
How do locals deal with snakes when they spot them under the hood of a car or in the bathroom? They call the emergency services. Experienced catchers arrive. A few dexterous movements, and the snake is in a large bag. Buddhists never kill her, but take her to the nearest forest and set her free.
Crocodiles
In Thailand, large reptiles can be found only in special farms and zoos. Very few crocodiles live in the wild, in the national parks of the country, but they are on the verge of extinction.
Sometimes, during a flood, 1-2 crocodiles manage to escape from the farms. Such incidents are so rare that they immediately write about them in the Thai media. The toothy monster is caught by the world and returned back, not because it is dangerous for people, but out of pity for the animal itself. It is difficult for a crocodile to survive in the modern world!
The same story with tigers. All big cats in Thailand have long lived only in captivity. Looking for crocodiles, tigers and other large predators? Plan a farm or zoo excursion!
Geckos, tukkas and calotas
By an innate habit, people are afraid of lizards, but small lizards are not dangerous animals in Thailand. Not only will they not harm you, they will even make your vacation more enjoyable. Small geckos - chinchoki - live in any Thai house and save its inhabitants from mosquitoes, flies and cockroaches.
Bigger geckos - tukke - also typical residents of Thai dwellings. They got their name because of bright spots and characteristic cry, because in Thai tukke means "scarecrow". Local residents have a sign. If the tukke screams when you leave the house, there will be no luck. If you heard the sounds of the lizard already at home, everything will turn out well!
Bloodsuckers can be seen on fences, parks and gardens. They love to bask in the sun. Despite the frightening name, tourists are not afraid of calots. Long-tailed lizards feed exclusively on flies.
Monkey
In Thailand, monkeys live in captivity and in the wild. Vacationers are specially taken to places where they can feed the monkeys. Meeting with crab macaques gives some tourists a lot of pleasant emotions, while others are very upset. The point is that monkeys are not tame animals. They behave according to their instincts.
Macaques are relatively dangerous animals in Thailand. Do not provoke monkeys to behave aggressively! Large males are accustomed to impudently begging for food. If teased, male macaques can bite on the hand. Young monkeys are curious and active. They are always ready to steal your sunglasses, cap, camera or phone.
Keep track of your belongings! Feed the macaques so that no flocks form around them. When there are more than 3-4 monkeys, just step aside. Let's open a secret - Thai macaques are very fond of peanuts. For the sake of this delicacy, they are even ready to follow the rules of decency!
Mosquitoes
There are no malaria-carrying mosquitoes in Thailand, but some infect people with Dengue fever. An unpleasant illness can seriously ruin your vacation and even lead to serious complications. There is a sad statistic - 50% of cases die from the hemorrhagic form of Dengue.
There are more mosquitoes in Thailand during the rainy season. Check into a hotel with mosquito nets on the windows. Use fumigators and repellents. Sprays and coils are available at 7-eleven stores. A wide range of insect control products are available in BigC and Tesco supermarkets.
Spiders
One of the most venomous on the planet is the Mediterranean hermit - a spider that sees perfectly in the dark. In general, they mainly live in the eastern United States, but in Thailand, a colony of these dangerous spiders was also found - in the Sai Yok cave in Kanchanaburi. So you are unlikely to meet them at the resort!
There is also a dangerous spider Black Widow, but we have not met him. It is black with red markings on the abdomen, usually in the shape of an hourglass. So his bite can kill a person if you do not consult a doctor in time, who will introduce an antidote.
In the resorts and in the homes of Thais, there are small spiders and large crab spiders - Heteropoda venatoria. Both are harmless. We saw a spider - do not be afraid. He's not hunting you, but mosquitoes and flies!
Scorpions
Thai scorpions are not as poisonous as in Africa. Their bites are painful, but can only lead to a severe allergic reaction. The rule is simple: never touch a scorpion!
If you want to tickle your nerves, go to the Tiger Zoo in Srirach. A woman stands there, covered with scorpions from head to toe. Spectacular attraction for impressionable tourists!
Jellyfish
Oddly enough, the most dangerous animals in Thailand live in the water. Jellyfish swim on the sea and sting everything that comes their way. It is difficult to distinguish between dangerous and harmless jellyfish by sight, so you need to be careful.
If the water is lit by the sun, and there is not a cloud in the sky, there are no jellyfish near the coast. Jellyfish cannot stand bright sunlight. At this time, they keep at depth or away from the coast.
Any invasion of jellyfish in shallow water occurs after a large storm when the water is cloudy. In addition, jelly-like creatures love cloudy and rainy weather.
What if stung by a jellyfish? Get out of the water and ask the Thais for help. Those who work on the beach know what to do.
Unfortunately, in Thailand there are dangerous jellyfish, the touch of which can kill a person. These are box jellyfish. They are found in the waters near Phuket. In the resorts of the Gulf of Thailand, such a misfortune is very rare.
Lionfish
The dangerous animals in Thailand include the zebra lionfish, which lives in coral reefs near tropical islands. This fish has a striped coloration and long, spiked fins.If you accidentally touch it, you can get a painful injection. The poison is not fatal, but a wounded arm or leg will hurt for a very long time.
If you injure your face with lionfish thorns, paralysis of the respiratory muscles may occur. Be careful while diving and snorkeling!
Shark
There is an opinion that there are no sharks in the Gulf of Thailand, and predators are found only in the Andaman Sea. In fact, there are sharks in Thailand, but not large and not in such numbers as in the Red Sea. In the Gulf of Thailand, gray, leopard, reef, black and tiger sharks are occasionally seen.
Have there been any attacks on people in Thailand? In the past and this century - no. What happened before is not known exactly. Those who are going to dive should ask professional divers about the rules of conduct when meeting a shark.
Scolopendra
They are in Thailand, but we have never met them. Disgusting centipedes, the bite of which is poisonous, but not fatal. The main thing is not to touch them.
