A growing population of unruly monkeys is causing headaches for Phuket officials, who are holding public hearings during June to discuss what can be done about the pesky primates. The hearings will include government officials, environmentalists, and representatives of local communities – but monkeys will not be welcome.
Areas including Rang and Toh Sae Hills - also known as Monkey Hill - and Phuket Town are acutely impacted by the burgeoning Simeon throngs.
One suggestion has been to capture the animals and exile them to uninhabited islands off the coast of Phuket. Authorities have assessed the food and water resources on the islands, and have identified Koh Ngam, Koh Pa Yu, Koh Mali, Koh Pae and Koh Tanan for the relocation. Before moving the monkeys, they will be sterilized to cap the population.