Monkey Island, Pattaya is known by various names, including Koh Ped (Duck Island), Koh Ling (Thai for “Monkey Island”), and its official name: Koh Klet Kaew (Crystal Shard Island). True to a few of its names, the tiny, jungle-covered lump of the island is shaped in a rough way like a splinter of crystal and is popular for its huge population of crab-eating macaques. Here we will discuss everything about Monkey island in Thailand.
It is a small island situated south of Pattaya between Bang Saray and Koh Khram, known as Koh Ling to the Thai’s which signifies monkey. There are thousands of monkeys who live in this low-lying vegetation. Mostly these primates can be seen along the eastern and southern shores waiting for greeting the visitors with delicious treats. There is also a Buddhist shrine guarded by a stone mermaid making it quite an interesting location for a photo session.
Everthing About Monkey Island in Thailand
Feeding these monkeys is expensive. Banana, nuts, and watermelon are their favourite. Once you start sharing these with them, they will literally start jumping all over you to get their share. You will be surprised at how acrobatic these animals are above and even under the water. The main diet of Samae Monkey is crabs. They have long tails and can swim very well. However, just like all primates, the chance of a free lunch is hard to resist.
This island was once upon a time the home to a large white-headed gibbon population announced by the US Armed Forces Scientists in 1967. They were part of a study into the feasibility of utilizing isolated breeding colonies as a readymade supply of subjects for testing the potential malaria vaccines on. However, the institute behind the program stopped making use of gibbons in their research after a few years and the gibbons were removed and released to a wild area near Kanchanaburi.
Things to See In Monkey Island
However, on this island, you will not find any ducks. This 24-hectare island off the coast of Sattahip is home to hundreds of monkeys which have become accustomed to human contact due to regular visits from boats transporting the tourists. The stony beach on this eastern end of the island is one of the most famous spots on the route of several island-hopping tours sailing from Ocean Marina Yacht Club in Na Jomtien, with visitors enjoying photographing and feeding the residents.
The current residents are crab lovers. They are known as Ling Samae (Ling means monkey and Samae means a type of crab). The number of monkeys has increased so much, thanks to being fed by the visitors regularly, that the Royal Thai Navy must provide food aid during the off-season to avoid mass starvation.
The monkeys here are so used to tourists that the Royal Thai Navy must offer food assistance at the off-season so that mass starvation can be avoided. The monkeys are so used to the tourists that they will generally swim out to meet the coming boats, eager to snatch the fruit that most of the tourists bring along with them. If you want to feed the monkeys yourself, nuts and bananas are a good option. However, their favourite is watermelon.
It is important to note that, while the residents of Monkey Island Pattaya are normally friendly and easy to approach and will even jump on you if you are having food with you, they are still wild and can be aggressive without warning.
How to get to Monkey Island
Monkey island Phi Phi is accessible by Kayak or boat from Phi Phi Don. There is no entry for cars and there are no roads. It is better to book a tour boat as the boat traffic levels are high, especially in this area. In-experienced people may find it hard to travel in a boat. The bay is a small area of sand and it can be quite busy so it is better to visit in the morning before all the speedboats start working. Or else you can go later in the afternoon which may be a great idea as you can feed the friendly monkeys. Unfortunately, you will find a lot of scraps and wastages leftover that people have bought to feed the monkeys
You may be wondering if it is worth all the hard work in getting to Monkey Island in Thailand. If you are scared of monkeys, better don’t visit this island. In such a case, it would be better to stay with a tour guide.
Monkey Island in Thailand & Snorkeling
Monkey Island is not just about monkeys. If you go hiking to Kayak to paddle then do not forget to carry your snorkeling equipment with you. There is some great snorkeling off the beach. Leave your kayak on the sand and enter the water. Ensure that you do not leave your belongings in the kayak for those notorious monkeys to take it. There is a huge variety of fish and coral to watch.
Human interaction with the monkeys
The interaction between humans and monkeys are always great to watch. In the human world, our social cues are different from primates. We can’t stop smiling when we see cute little monkeys. If you are not careful about your belongings, then the monkeys on the island can take anything they can hold of. It is better not to leave anything unattended. They are not inherently naughty, rather they just search for food. Though they do not identify between a bag full of costly things and a bag full of fruits! They have high levels of intelligence and great motor skills for the animal world. Keys and iPhones can make great tools for dividing things apart.
Like most primate species, an inherent danger of interacting is handling aggression, which mostly would come from the misinterpreted social cues, or trapping them whilst fending off a hungry or weird monkey. The obvious danger from small monkeys is the risk of infection or diseases caused by a bite. They also carry some dangerous viruses transmittable to humans like the Herpes B virus. The key is to treat every bite professionally at once.
Spend a fun day at Monkey island Phuket
This destination is perfect for those who love to have fun whenever they are traveling and in the meantime, love seeing animals in their natural habitat. One can even interact with cute and friendly monkeys. Enjoy taking photos of the monkeys and keep the memory forever with you. You can do all this while admiring the horizon and the blend of nature and blue waters of the Monkey Island.
Visiting the monkey island at Phuket, Thailand is a great choice if you are your family want to spend a day enjoying a once in a lifetime experience. The steep rocks and beautiful nature makes the entire sight of the beach a great memory that will last forever. Don’t forget to be polite to the cute and naughty creatures and clean yourself after that. Feel the warm wind and have fun by soaking in the endless blue water of the sea and its combination with the nature around the beach. As you now know everything about Monkey Beach in Thailand, book a tour to Phuket, Thailand, and enjoy yourself with an unforgettable memory.