Praya Lundberg Urges Crackdown on Wildlife Attractions After 72 Tiger Deaths at Tiger Kingdom

Chiang Mai — With news that 72 tigers have died at Chiang Mai’s Tiger Kingdom—a captive wildlife operation that forces tigers into dangerous hands-on encounters with the public for photo ops—actor and model Praya Lundberg sent a letter today to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, urging officials to strengthen laws that would restrict and ultimately close facilities that use tigers and other animals for human entertainment.

As Lundberg points out in her letter, using big cats for photo ops or forcing them to perform tricks is already outlawed in countries including India and the U.K., and “Thailand can and should aspire to those same standards of protection.”

Credit: PETA
A tiger at Phuket’s Tiger Kingdom

“Thailand’s wildlife is part of our natural heritage and our identity,” writes Lundberg. “Our wildlife should be a source of national pride, not a commodity to be exploited for selfies and ticket sales.”

Tigers are highly intelligent, wide‑ranging animals who naturally avoid human contact. Cubs typically stay with their mothers for up to two years, but those used in tourist attractions are often torn away from their mothers when they are just hours, days, or weeks old. When not being used for photo ops or being forced to perform uncomfortable tricks under the threat of punishment, captive tigers are commonly confined to tiny, barren enclosures, where they are denied everything that’s natural and important to them.

“The world is watching, and we have the opportunity to move towards tourism that reflects compassion, responsibility, and genuine conservation,” concludes Lundberg. “Let this be the moment when Thailand chooses protection over profit.”

Lundberg’s letter is available upon request.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment or abuse in any other way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone. For more information, please visit PETAAsia.com or follow PETA Asia on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

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