Samui monkey show

Posted by Full mooner on October 7th, 2011 filed in activities

In western nations a dog is often a man’s best friend. This is not the case on Koh Samui as monkeys have traditionally been used as work creatures in the harvesting of coconuts from the island’s iconic palm trees. Over the years islanders have developed a bond with their primate workmates.

Monkeys were trained by their keepers to climb the lofty palms and pick ripe coconuts. The traditional heritage is kept alive on the mainland where a Surat Thani school still trains monkeys to perform the task. People travelling around Samui and passing a coconut plantation may still see a monkey picking the hardy fruit from trees. An adroit primate often picks in excess of 500 coconuts a day.

The animal theatre adjacent to the bypass road at Bophut offers visitors the opportunity of seeing the intelligent creatures perform a number of tasks, the grand finale of which is a coconut picking act. There are several shows a day during the peak tourist season. Elephants are also a part of the entertainment and are able to exhibit their ability to learn basic assignments. Visitors can ride one of the elephants in between show times.