Considering how popular Thailand is for holidays, many tourists come into the country to enjoy a wide range of activities. If you are passionate about hunting, you may be thinking about whether hunting is allowed or not in Thailand. Well, there are tons of considerations about hunting laws in Thailand. Below, we will take a look at these considerations.
Simply put, you can hunt in Thailand, but there are hunting laws that you must be aware of before you start hunting. These laws are targeted at regulating how people (both locals and foreigners) can hunt wildlife in the country. Unfortunately, law enforcement in Thailand is generally weak; hence, people often get away with a lot of things.
Hunting laws in Thailand
Thailand’s wildlife conservation framework has been put in place to protect people from hunting nineteen animal species. These are animal species considered to be on the brink of extinction. According to the Wild Animal Reservation and Protection Act (2019), no one should hunt, breed, possess, or trade these animal species in Thailand. The only exception is when these animals are used for scientific purposes after obtaining permission from the Permanent Secretary of National Park, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation.
Some of the protected species include mainland serow, white-eyed river martin, kouprey, marbled cat, Chinese goral, Sumatran rhinoceros, Javan rhinoceros, sarus crane, wild Asian water buffalo, Eld’s deer, leatherback turtle, and whale shark. Others are Fea’s muntjac, dugong, Omura’s whale, Schomburgk’s deer, Malayan tapir, Gurney’s pitta, and Bryde’s whale. When hunting in Thailand, you must never hunt any of these nineteen animal species. Unluckily, a few of these animal species are already in extinction in Thailand due to the unlawful hunting carried out by some individuals, especially wealthy people that are seemingly above the law.
In addition, there are laws banning hunting in many areas. This is because real estate development and deforestation are causing lots of damages to the wildlife in Thailand already. Therefore, the country’s authority is enforcing lots of laws to protect wildlife. So, before hunting in Thailand, you need to carefully understand the hunting laws and also find out if hunting is allowed in your locality or not.
Hunting adventures in Thailand
For lots of foreigners, hunting is just a game that adds more fun to their touristic experience. However, you should realize that hunting in Thailand is significantly different from hunting in the United States of America and other western countries. Culturally, people hardly consider hunting to be a game in Thailand as it is only done for the purpose of getting food. As a result of this, there is no such much hunting in the country.
Usually, many locals utilize slingshots and air rifles to hunt for rats and other small animals in the rice fields. Also, some locals go to forests to hunt for some wild boars. So, if you want to hunt in Thailand for fun, you should realize that many locals may not even welcome the idea.
Challenges with using ammunition in Thailand
Of course, if you want to hunt in Thailand, you will likely need a gun for your adventures. Previously, foreigners in Thailand could easily apply for the ownership of guns. However, in October 2017, the National Legislative Assembly amended the Weapon, Firearm, Explosive and Firework Act; thus, banning all foreigners from owning or using guns in Thailand. Only those with permits for gun ownership before the law amendment can continue using them. In addition, such a foreigner must have a permit for each gun.
So, if you are a foreigner and want to hunt in Thailand, you cannot use a gun as the authority will not issue a permit. Therefore, hunting in Thailand will probably lead to violation of the wildlife law and gun ownership law. You should know that if you possess or use a gun without permission in Thailand, you can face a jail term of up to twenty years.
Again, enforcement of these laws is weak in Thailand. Nevertheless, you don’t want to take such a risk because a few people have been punished for hunting. Some years ago, Bangkok Post reported the case of a team arrested for traveling with the paws of an Asian bearcat. The team was alleged to have killed the animal for food. These people were sued to court for unlawful possession of ammunition and poaching. They were reportedly fined for the offense.
Another challenge with hunting in Thailand is that killing is not encouraged by Buddhism. Factually, the first precept for Buddhists is that they shouldn’t kill any animal. Notably, lots of Thais are Buddhists; therefore, hunting in Thailand may be seen as a dishonorable act by many locals.
Shooting ranges as an alternative to hunting in Thailand
As shown above, various laws prohibit hunting in Thailand. Of course, you don’t want to be punished because you just want to enjoy the game of hunting. Besides, hunting for animals in Thailand is hurting the already depleted ecosystem. As a consequence of this, you are advised to desist from hunting in Thailand.
Nevertheless, if you are passionate about shooting guns, you may want to consider using shooting ranges. Shooting ranges are areas specifically set aside for shooting guns. Both foreigners and locals can go register in the office of the shooting ranges. The officials will offer you the right guns and the amount of ammunition permitted under law. These shooting ranges don’t put the lives of animals at risk and also don’t violate the hunting laws in Thailand.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, there are hunting laws prohibiting the hunting of some animals in Thailand. Also, some regulations determine where people can hunt in the country. Besides, foreigners have been banned from owning or using guns for any purpose. However, due to the weak law enforcement, lots of people have gotten away with the crime of hunting illegally in Thailand.
Despite this, it is recommended that you avoid harming the already depleted wildlife in Thailand by refraining from hunting.