Save Coconut Industry With Monkey Labour Ban, PETA Tells Officials 

Bangkok – Amid reports that the price of Thai coconuts has plummeted to just 5 baht per fruit, today, PETA sent a letter to Minister of Finance Arkhom Termpittayapaisith urging him to revive the industry’s reputation and increase sales by implementing and enforcing a ban on forced monkey labour and cruel monkey-training facilities so that foreign buyers will return.   

PETA Asia’s first two investigations revealed that monkeys are torn from their families and sent to abusive “schools” that train them to pick coconuts. The group’s most recent investigation into the Thai coconut industry once again showed that monkeys continue to be illegally obtained, chained, beaten, and treated like coconut-picking machines, despite assurances by the Thai government that it would take action. 

“It’s no coincidence that this drop comes after multiple PETA investigations, which have revealed horrific cruelty to monkeys who are forced to pick coconuts,” writes PETA Senior Vice President Jason Baker. “As long as the Thai coconut industry is permitted to own and use monkeys and monkey training schools continue to operate, forced monkey labour will remain an ugly stain on the coconut supply chain.” 

PETA’s investigations have linked monkey labour to Chaokoh, Ampol Food, Theppadungporn Coconut Co, Aroy-d, Cocoburi, Thai Pure Coconut Co, Ampawa, Suree, Edward & Sons Trading Co, and many other brands. 

PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way” – opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information on PETA Asia’s investigative newsgathering and reporting, please visit PETAAsia.com or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.  

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