Police arrest Slow Loris owners in South Pattaya

Posted on March 15, 2012 at 4:37 pm

In a joint operation involving the Tourist Police and the Crime Suppression Division of Natural Resources and the Environment based in Bangkok, two women offering pictures with Slow Lorises were arrested on Walking Street. The two women, Khun Pawina aged 21 and Khun Penpan aged 29 were taken to Pattaya Police Station along with their animals. The operation was prompted by a complaint from the Freeland Foundation based in Bangkok who campaign against wildlife trafficking. The women confessed to offering pictures with the animals to tourists for 100 Baht each. The Freeland Foundation claim the Slow Lorises are often poorly treated and given sedatives to ensure they can be easily handled. Police charged the two women and the animals were seized and taken to a local Zoo where they will be cared for.

Mike

Looks like that German beer bar owner they arrested a few days ago.
Jake

What law/ordinance did these women actually break to have them arrested? Is it against the law to posses these animals?
Piemeltje86 (Pattaya Secrets Forum)

Serves them right, but unfortunately they will be back in business soon.
Ian

Never knew the names of those things. Slow Loris
Rob

@Jake …. yes it is, they are a protected species. There was a documentary on this a few months ago and is was based in Bangkok and Pattaya.
Rob

At least one woman got away, she was harassing tourists at the coconut bar today!
frankie thunder

OH YEA– i seen these 2 my last trip…they should also arrest the fool thai that wanted to charge me money for taking a photo of his dog with the hat,sunglasses,and smoke lying on the public sidewalk outside of the walking street gate…
Visa

Yeah, I have some. These animals are one of the most poisonous animals if they bite you.
Drew

@ frankie, this poor dog gets drugged everyday for what reason??..money !
Observing

I came across these women last time I was on Walking Street. Saw Russians taking pictures. I don’t deal with any hawkers and vendors anyhow, but good job cracking down on them. But unfortunately we’ll see them again in the near future.

These animals are vulnerable and endangered, but it’s the way the slow loris’ that become ‘pets’ are treated, probably like the ones these ladies had, that is most disturbing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_loris
(read how slow loris are mutilated under ‘Wildlife Trade’)

http://boingboing.net/2011/03/23/adorable-loris-video.html

Anyone that takes pictures with these beautiful animals ought to be ashamed of themselves.
Shahram

I did not find this one in CITES list of engendered species .
Deadhorse

Being endangered is bad enough but it’s the making them olso do the headstands,gyrations and football tricks that should get them charged.
If the slow, slow loris minders were not as slow as their slow loris they not get caught.
Talksin

Yeah its pretty terrible. Seen others haul in giant albino iguanas too. Judge should make the offenders dress in the costumes of thier animals and perform stupid tricks for a few years on walking street as punishment.
Deadhorse

Be warned any posers out there, of man who take photo of you with albino boa constrictor, these are not bears, snake not only sh*t in the woods.
frankie thunder

DREW–your right how many years now has this poor dog been druged up…
Bjorn Adal

Strolling in Walking Street on Sunday 26
There they are with the same poor animals
same lady as on the pitcure at police station and all that.. I wonder how this is possible
it says that animals should be taken care of
craig

Bjorn Adal, how much meat do you think is on that animal’s bones? It does look tasty and I would like to put this matter to rest with a practical resolution.