Monkey Coconut-Picking Tradition

Coconut palms grow too tall and thin to climb safely, so farmers in southern Thailand traditionally trained pig-tailed macaques to twist ripe coconuts free. A trained monkey can pick several hundred to over 1,000 coconuts a day, far more than a human. The first formal monkey training school was started in Surat Thani province in 1957 by Somporn Saekow (died 2002), who promoted kinder training methods. The practice has declined on Samui as farming gave way to tourism, and some remaining monkeys are used in tourist 'monkey shows'. Animal welfare organisations have criticised the use of monkeys for coconut harvesting; some international retailers have boycotted Thai coconut products over the issue. Visitors should be aware that this is a real working tradition with an ongoing welfare debate.

Details

Coconut palms grow too tall and thin to climb safely, so farmers in southern Thailand traditionally trained pig-tailed macaques to twist ripe coconuts free. A trained monkey can pick several hundred to over 1,000 coconuts a day, far more than a human. The first formal monkey training school was started in Surat Thani province in 1957 by Somporn Saekow (died 2002), who promoted kinder training methods. The practice has declined on Samui as farming gave way to tourism, and some remaining monkeys are used in tourist 'monkey shows'. Animal welfare organisations have criticised the use of monkeys for coconut harvesting; some international retailers have boycotted Thai coconut products over the issue. Visitors should be aware that this is a real working tradition with an ongoing welfare debate.

Highlights

• Trained macaques can pick far more coconuts per day than humans
• First monkey training school founded 1957 in Surat Thani by Somporn Saekow
• Practice has declined on Samui with the shift to tourism
• There is an active international animal-welfare debate about monkey coconut picking

Local tips

• You may still see monkeys with owners in rural parts of the island
• If animal welfare matters to you, research any 'monkey show' before visiting

Frequently asked questions

Why were monkeys used to pick coconuts?

Mature coconut palms are very tall, thin and dangerous to climb. Trained macaques can harvest many hundreds of nuts a day safely.

Is monkey coconut picking still common on Samui?

It has declined a lot as the island moved from farming to tourism, but the tradition survives in parts of southern Thailand.

Is it cruel?

There is genuine debate. Traditional trainers describe the monkeys as valued partners, while animal welfare groups criticise the practice. We present it as a fact of local history without endorsement.