Thailand’s pet lion chaos: The absolute madness you need to see

Thailand’s Growing Lion Tangle: An Overview

What the Law Says

In Thailand, keeping a lion is permitted—provided the owner registers the animal, implants a microchip, and notifies authorities before relocating it. The rules grant owners a lengthy 60‑day window to report births of cubs, a far longer period than the 24 hours required for native protected species such as tigers.

The Rise of Private Ownership

• Since 2018, sightings of privately kept lions have ballooned from roughly 130 individuals to nearly 450 in 2024.
• Owners like Tharnuwarht Plengkemratch maintain an Instagram and TikTok presence, sharing daily antics and “photoshoot” moments, drawing almost three million followers.
• In addition to lions, hybrids such as ligers—lion‑tiger crossings—have proliferated, yet no specific limits regulate their breeding or captivity.

Social Media’s Role

These online platforms amplify the trend. When Tharnuwarht posts glamorous snapshots, viewers assume a “friendly bond” akin to that of dogs or cats—a narrative many owners use to justify keeping the animals.

Wildlife Experts Sound the Alarm

Tom Taylor, chief operating officer of the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, calls the situation “absolute madness” and warns that without legal reform the picture could worsen dramatically within a decade.

Key Concerns

• Potential for inadvertent deaths or escapes, as a significant number of lions have gone “lost to follow‑up” after one year.
• Enforcement challenges: authorities often face high penalties for confiscated animals and may delay intervention due to logistical costs.
• Circumstantial evidence of transborder trade, with reports of lions and cubs appearing in neighboring countries that have not registered imports under CITES.

The Hybrid Dilemma

Ligers and tigons—offspring featuring a combination of lion and tiger traits—occupy a regulatory gray area. Because they are not fully protected by local conservation statutes, breeders can operate with fewer restrictions.

Captive Breeding and Market Dynamics

Individual breeders, such as Pathamawadee Janpithak, run facilities that house up to 80 lions, ranging from full‑mane adults to newborn cubs. Breeding cycles produce litters of two to six cubs, often twice a year.

Market Pressures

• A month‑old white lion cub—an uncommon genetic variant—has struggled to find a buyer after showing signs of illness.
• Buyers increasingly face legal hurdles; previously, pay‑and‑take transactions were common.
• Some breeders now avoid “lion cafes,” which regularly acquire cubs that are either sold or returned due to health concerns.

Regulatory Response and Future Outlook

Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) acknowledges the long-standing practice of private ownership and is cautiously working toward stricter import limits to curb inbreeding risks. Although a comprehensive ban is unlikely at present, wildlife officers remain vigilant about enforcing existing guidelines.

Key Recommendations for Prospective Owners

• Recognize that wild creatures are best kept in their natural habitats.
• Consider alternative companion animals that do not fall under the same stringent welfare concerns.