The monkeys you meet at Thai temples, viewpoints and beaches are mostly macaques that have learned visitors carry food, and US health guidance says most monkey bites happen when people try to touch or feed them. Keep food out of sight, do not feed them, and if one bites or scratches you, hold it under running water with soap for at least 15 to 20 minutes and see a doctor the same day.
Monkeys are one of the things visitors photograph most in Thailand, and one of the more common reasons for an unplanned hospital visit. The CDC names Thailand among the countries where monkey bites are common, together with India, Indonesia and Gibraltar. A bite is not only a wound: it needs checking for rabies and for B virus, a rare but serious infection carried by macaques that many travelers have never heard of.
Monkeys in Thailand: the essentials (checked October 2026)
- Main risk
- Bites and scratches, mostly when people feed or touch monkeys (CDC)
- First aid
- Wash with soap and running water: at least 15 minutes (WHO), at least 20 minutes (CDC)
- Medical check
- Same day, for rabies and B virus
- Feeding
- Banned in national parks (DNP); no current fine verified
- Emergency
- 1669 ambulance; Tourist Police 1155
Where you are likely to meet monkeys
Monkeys live wild in many parts of Thailand, but the problems are concentrated where people feed them. These are the places named in official statements or news reports we could read, with the date of the source, because the situation changes:
| Place | What the source says | Source date |
|---|---|---|
| Lopburi old town | Catch, sterilize and shelter program since May 2024; nearly 100 monkeys escaped the holding center on 29 to 30 June 2026, most recaptured | June 2026 |
| Phi Phi Islands (Krabi) | National park authority says feeding monkeys is "strictly prohibited" after a video of tourists feeding them spread | May 2025 |
| Phuket Town: Khao Rang and Toh Sae Hill | Provincial governor ordered multilingual warning signs and said feeding must stop | May 2018 |
| Koh Chang (Trat) | Tourists to be fined for feeding monkeys in the national park | January 2017 |
| Khao Chong Krachok, Prachuap Khiri Khan | Hilltop temple with a monkey colony (TAT) | 2021 |
Lopburi is the best-known case. Our Lopburi day trip guide covers what the temples are like now, with fewer monkeys than before 2024 but still some at Phra Prang Sam Yot and San Phra Kan. On Phi Phi, the ban applies across Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park; our Phi Phi Islands guide covers the islands themselves. Monkeys also appear in our guides to Mu Ko Lanta National Park and to Prachuap Khiri Khan. For other spots, such as beaches around Krabi or the hill at Hua Hin's Khao Takiab, we found no dated official source, so we do not describe them here.
Why monkeys grab, and what sets them off
The CDC's travel health guide describes macaque behavior plainly. Monkeys are "notorious for climbing into vehicles and opening backpacks to get food", and plastic or paper food bags attract them. Shiny or flashy jewelry can draw them too. They rest under restaurant tables, food stalls and parked vehicles, so the CDC advises giving corners a wide berth rather than walking straight into a group you have not seen.
The pattern is simple. A monkey that has been fed by people expects food from the next person. When it sees a bag, a bottle or a hand reaching out, it may grab, and if someone pulls back or holds on, a grab can become a bite. Most of the injuries the CDC describes come from the moment a person tries to feed or touch the animal.
Feeding bans and fines: what is actually known
Inside national parks, feeding wild monkeys is prohibited. In May 2025 the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) restated this for the Phi Phi Islands, citing disrupted natural behavior, disease risk and monkeys becoming aggressive, and said violations are subject to penalties under the National Parks Act of 2019. We could not read the Act's text, so we cannot give the maximum penalty.
The fine figures you see online are old. In January 2017 the Bangkok Post reported a 500-baht fine for feeding monkeys on Koh Chang, and in May 2018 The Phuket News reported the DNP warning that tourists could be fined up to 1,000 baht in national parks. Both may have changed, and we found no official 2026 figure. Outside national parks we found no national rule either way; in Phuket in 2018 it was "not made clear" whether officials would fine tourists in town.
Whatever the fine, the reason not to feed them is the bite risk to you and to the next visitor.
How to keep your bag, your food and your fingers
- Pack food away before you arrive. Keep snacks and drinks in a closed bag, separate from the things you carry in your hands, as the CDC advises. Do not eat or open a plastic bag near the animals.
- Close the car and the backpack. Shut car windows at viewpoints and zip every pocket. Monkeys open bags faster than you expect.
- Take off what shines. Remove dangling earrings, necklaces and sunglasses near a group of monkeys.
- Do not hold out anything. Not food, not a phone for a close-up, not a hand to stroke. Use the zoom.
- If a monkey takes something, let it go. A pair of sunglasses is cheaper than a course of injections.
- Walk away calmly. Back off slowly rather than running, and do not corner a monkey or step between a mother and her young.
Children are bitten more often, and more badly. The CDC says children are more likely to be bitten by monkeys and to be more severely injured. Hold small children's hands near monkeys, carry their snacks for them, and explain before you arrive that monkeys are not pets. Our guide to Thailand with kids covers vaccines and other health planning for families.
After a bite or scratch: wash first, then two medical checks
Start washing straight away. The WHO says to wash a bite or scratch with soap and water for at least 15 minutes; the CDC's figure is at least 20 minutes under running water, with soap, to reduce the risk of infections such as B virus and rabies. A tap, a shower or bottled water all work. Then cover the wound and go to a hospital or clinic the same day, and say that a monkey bit or scratched you.
Rabies. The CDC notes that rabies is comparatively rare in monkeys, but a bite or scratch that breaks the skin is still assessed as a possible exposure, and UK travel health advice asks for urgent local medical assessment even when a wound looks trivial. The vaccine course, and where to get it in Thailand, is set out in our page on bites and rabies treatment.
B virus. B virus (herpes B) is carried by macaques, including the long-tailed and rhesus macaques found in Asia. Human infections are rare and none has been documented in travelers, but the CDC says the death rate in infected humans is high. Its advice is that anyone bitten or scratched by a monkey should be evaluated for post-exposure treatment, which a doctor may give as antiviral medicine when broken skin or the eyes, nose or mouth were exposed. The CDC's own guidance cites a 2018 report of a monkey bite in a public park in Thailand. Ask the doctor about B virus specifically, because not every clinic raises it.
The CDC adds that antibiotics are often appropriate after animal bites or scratches; that is for the doctor to decide. Keep the doctor's note, your vaccination card and every receipt for your insurer; our guide to hospitals in Thailand explains how payment works.
Other animals that bite
Monkeys are only one part of the picture. Dogs are the more common source of rabies, and our page on stray dogs in Thailand explains how to walk, run and cycle around them. Snakes, scorpions, sea creatures and the rest are covered in our guide to the animals that can hurt you in Thailand. If you plan long stays or remote trips, ask a travel clinic whether rabies vaccination before travel suits you; our page on vaccinations for Thailand sets out the UK and US advice.
Frequently asked questions
Is it illegal to feed monkeys in Thailand?
Inside national parks, yes: the national park authority says feeding monkeys is strictly prohibited, with penalties under the National Parks Act of 2019. We found no current official fine; reported figures of 500 baht (2017) and up to 1,000 baht (2018) are old.
Do monkeys in Thailand carry rabies?
Rabies is comparatively rare in monkeys, according to the CDC, but it cannot be ruled out. Any bite or scratch that breaks the skin should be washed for at least 15 to 20 minutes and checked by a doctor the same day.
What is B virus and should I worry after a monkey scratch?
B virus is a herpes virus carried by macaques. Human cases are rare, but serious. The CDC says anyone bitten or scratched by a monkey should be evaluated for post-exposure treatment, so mention it to the doctor alongside rabies.
What should I do if a monkey grabs my bag in Thailand?
Let go. Pulling back is how a grab turns into a bite. Move away calmly, and ask temple or park staff for help if something important, such as a passport, was taken.
Sources
- CDC Yellow Book – Zoonotic exposures: bites, stings, scratches (updated 23 April 2025; checked October 2026)
- World Health Organization – Rabies fact sheet (checked October 2026)
- TravelHealthPro (UKHSA) – Thailand (checked October 2026)
- Pattaya Mail – National park authority tracks down tourists for feeding monkeys at Phi Phi (published 6 May 2025; checked October 2026)
- The Phuket News – Phuket governor orders monkey warning signs for tourists (published 31 May 2018; checked October 2026)
- Bangkok Post – Fine for feeding monkeys (Koh Chang) (published 19 January 2017; checked October 2026)
- Khaosod English – Nearly 100 monkeys escape enclosure in Lopburi (published 30 June 2026; checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – A few days in Prachuap Khiri Khan (2021; checked October 2026)