The Tiger Temple is a very controversial place that is often criticised for its "commercialisation... read more
The Tiger Temple is a very controversial place that is often criticised for its "commercialisation... read more
Nice place with a good view but not amazing !! Lot of step to walk to go upstairs. It's really... read more
I went to the Tiger Temple on 23/3/10 with my sister and nieces. It was patently obvious these tigers are drugged. They were between 8 and 10 tigers laying around in various states of consciousness, ranging from totally out of it, i.e could be turned from its side full onto its back ( to get it in a more photogenic position) without even a flicker of its eyelids, to barely awake. All laying down, whilst workers spray water in their faces to get them to face the cameras. One of the 'tame' tigers had come round enough to stand and pace a little on its chain, although strangely no-one was allowed anywhere near it.
When asked the workers, volunteers and monks all say that the tigers are not drugged, just sleepy after a meal in the heat and used to being handled. i suppose there's nothing like having hundreds of strangers pet you to make you so relaxed you lose consciousness! Whilst we were there we saw a younger, smaller tiger in a different part of the compound, obviously not drugged, dragging its handler around. It could only be control by a larger man and someone banging on a bin-lid with a stick to prevent it going in unwanted directions.
Make no mistake folks these tigers can only be drugged to behave as they do under extremis. The workers+ volunteers are either stupid or liars, what else can they be? The monks are hypocrites as well as liars. I calculated (roughly) how much the temple was taking in a wk, a conservative estimate came out at somewhere btwn £35.000 and £50.000 english pounds. In a country where the average wage is £3000 p.a. that's one serious cash-cow! They claim to be about conservation but seem more concerned with conserving their money than the welfare of tigers. They claim to have a release programme yet no advertising of any figures, or how these 'tame' tigers are doing in a land where poaching is lucrative? Believe me when i say i have tried to get hold of any facts or figures on this to no avail! One would think they would be proud of their so called release programme so why the lack of info?
People would still pay to see tigers in a natural enviroment and I'm sure be very intersted in how they achieve release back into the wild. Maybe it wouldn't be as much of a cash-cow, but would certainly benefit and befit these beautiful, stunning animals.
Finally i urge you whoever you are not to go. If you really care about tigers take no part in this exploitation. There are better ways to help tigers. If you do go then at least go in the knowledge of what you are going to and prepare to feel proper sad as me, my sis and nieces did! Thanks for taking the time to read this B
This temple is fantastic. You should follow the colour rules the monk have and you will enjoy. Try and take lots of pictures as they are worth the memory. Walk around the temple and you will come across many other animals as well as baby tigers. You can feed and cuddle them. There are many attractions within the area. You can take pictures with the tigers as many as you want.
Well we booked the morning trip through tour with tong at 5000 baht each person arrived at 7am only another couple there so was good, gave the monks food then had breakfast with them where there are big tigers chained around a room and you get to feed loads of baby cubs and play with them for a good 1 and half hour (half an hour plenty of time- felt like time wasting) while we where there you get to talk to some of the volunteers too while having lots of photos taken, from there you all get given your own cub to carry/walk to there beds to have a rest, from there you get taken to this play area arena place where you get to play with the middle aged tigers about 6 months old with plastic bags filled with balls on the end of a stick, and that's about it was another very long part of the tour
then after that we all got to give the middle aged tiger a wash which was very fun and good to do then feed them after
from there we had a little break and drink- lots of water provide what was good then off to the big tigers
we went to the middle of the temple ground to see a big tiger chained up on the floor and had a photo taken then got to walk it to where all the tourists get there photos taken and meet all the other big tigers (about 8) then all the Thai workers who only look after the big tigers ( the foreign volunteers only look after cubs and small tigers) we where built a cage to stand in where the volunteers played with the big tigers and made them do tricks for us and play felt a bit forced, the Thais take your camera and take photos up close that is good after that it was about 12 just before the tourists come we got given a calender and necklace as a parting gift and that was our trip,
Are the tiger drugged,
Baby and small tiger no not at all , they are running about playing and biting you (not hard) very fun
The big tigers the same very energetic, some a bit docile but if one of them misbehaved they where shown not to with sticks and force not nice etc, but the funny thing we where never showed where the big tigers sleep and live etc we got there and they where there and they got escorted off after down some hill where we couldn't see where, being very lively and playful i cant see how at all in an hour time tourists are aloud to have the big tigers head on there lap etc all up close with out any reaction from the tiger it is very strange im not suggesting drugs but i wouldn't class it out as the foreign volunteers don't get to be with the big tigers that much only when tourists are there only thai, just very strange,
it is very worth going to this place early morning is best a once in a lifetime experience
it is not as traditional and holy as it makes out, defiantly tourist funded and made to attract them and are making a lot of money out of it, im sure the big tigers welfare isnt the best.
i hope this helps peoples doubts
My fiance, his parents and I went to the tiger temple in April 2010 (I was also about 12 weeks pregnant then) and got guided around the tigers while the staff took amazing photos of us with all the tigers. Once we had done that we opted to watch the tigers' exercise afterwards which was amazing and captured some fab pictures but while this was all in action, I had to be proped up against the barrier as I was very very close to fainting/passing out! The staff very efficently got me a chair to sit down on, a fresh, cold bottle of water, they fanned me with everything they could AND they even put smelling salts under my nose to bring me around! My fiance and I couldn't believe how caring and kind they were to me! Overall a fab day and one of my highlights of the entire holiday!
Our airport transfer company also offered car & guide tours, and we took the River Kwai bridge and Tiger Temple option. The latter became the highlight of our Bangkok visit.
The Western helpers assisting the monks were helpful, enthusiastic and knowledgeable and took excellent photos with our cameras to capture the visit.
This was a once in a lifetime experience. Sure, at THB4000 its not cheap, but where else on the plant can you walk with, stroke and even cuddle fully grown tigers - LOTS of them?
We hired a taxi from BKK for 2800BHT as he took us there and stayed until we were ready to leave, which was practically the whole day. The temple is 2 hours from BKK. Entrance fee is 500BHT per person. Dont wear pink, red or bright colors. If you do, they sell T shirts there for 300 - 500 BHT, not worth it. The tigers were an awesome sight. About 20 tigers were chained to trees like dogs and it was very very hot. There are volunteers who seize the oppurtunity while you are still in awe and very effectively managed to sell us an activity with the cubs and tigers that cost us another 1500BHT each. The best part of the day was the half hour we got to spend with the cubs and feed them. They were beautiful! The activity part of the day when the tigers get to flap at a yellow bag for fun.....YAWN! I would go back just to play with the cubs and pay 1500BHT for it all over again. There are other animals there like ponies, buffaloes, a wierd deer that would'nt move even when i walked right up to it!! and a leopard...but no mention of these animals as the Tigers are the money makers. They give you little booklets that answer questions like if they are drugged and why they look so sleepy...but whatever..strict monastery laws about not touching women and smoking and drinking dont apply to the monks who are quite friendly and accepted a smoke from the volunteers...All in all, well worth a visit while the red shirts have MBK under siege...a good diversion.