Monkey Island

Pattaya Monkey Island goes by many different names, including Koh Ling (Thai for "Monkey Island"), Koh Ped ("Duck Island") and the official name: Koh Klet Kaew ("Crystal Island"). True to some of its names, this tiny forest-covered land is shaped almost like a piece of crystal and is famous for its large population of monkeys.

The 24-hectare island just off the coast of Sattahip is home to hundreds of monkeys accustomed to human contact due to daily visits from tourist boats. The rocky beach at the eastern end of the island is one of the most popular spots on the route of many island tours from the Ocean Marina Yacht Club in Na Jomtien, with visitors enjoying feeding and photographing the fish. people.

Monkey Island Pattaya was once home to a sizable population of white-handed gibbons introduced by US Armed Forces scientists in 1967. They were part of a study on the feasibility of using the monkeys. breeding populations of gibbons as a ready-made source of subjects for potential malaria vaccine trials. However, the program stopped using gibbons in their research a few years later, and the monkeys were removed and released into the wild near Kanchanaburi.

Current inhabitants are crab-eating macaques, also known as long-tailed macaques and locally as Ling Samae ('Ling' means monkey and 'Samae' is a type of crab). The numbers had grown so large, fed by frequent visitors, that the Royal Thai Navy had to provide food aid during off-season to prevent mass starvation. The monkeys are so used to tourists that they often swim out to meet the approaching boats, eager to get the fruit that most visitors bring with them.

Feeding these monkeys is quite a fun experience, their favorite foods are bananas, watermelons and nuts. Monkeys dare to visitors and they will jump over you to get their food. You will be amazed at how acrobatic these little animals are above or below the water. The main diet of Samae Monkeys is crabs, they have long tails and are very good swimmers. But for all primates, the chance to eat the fruit is irresistible.

Monkey numbers have spiked over the years due to an increase in Tourism leading to food shortages in the low season. The Royal Thai Navy had to provide food to sustain the monkeys during these times. With the help of visitors, the Tourism Authority of Thailand continues to include this wonderful island on tours that can assist in sustaining this growing and thriving monkey community. If you want to feed them yourself, bananas and nuts are fine, but watermelon is their favorite. It is important to note that, although the inhabitants of Monkey Island Pattaya are generally very friendly and approachable and will even climb on top of you if you are carrying food, they are still wild and can become ferocious.