Kanchanaburi Introduction - 3 Day Itinerary - Tiger Temple - Erawan Waterfalls - Erawan National Park - Hellfire Pass - Kanchanaburi Allied War Cemetery - Bridge Over the River Kwai - Death Railway
At the Tiger Temple, Kanchanaburi you are able to have you photo taken sat next to a tiger; this is for the brave only! The temple is organised by Buddhist monks who try to convince tourist that they are able to control the tigers without the means of drugs, this is for you to decide. The temple started over 15 years ago when a tiger cub which was abandoned was given to the small Buddhist temple to look after.
There are very few rules in Thailand which govern which animals can be kept as pets and there are a surprising number of wealthy families who keep tigers as a type of status symbol. These designer tiger pets are seldom wanted after their owners discover how dangerous an adult tiger can be. Soon they are abandoned which causes distress to the animal and can terrorise a local area. With this the tiger temple accepts these tigers and provides a good life which will endanger no one (except for the tourists).
The temple is very money orientated charging a large entrance fee and even more for specialist photos, but the Buddhist monks assure the visitors that the money is spent on looking after the animals. It is a once in a life chance to have a photo sat next to a tiger, and I doubt many would resist the chance, where else in the world would this be possible? Only in Thailand and at the Tiger Temple, Kanchanaburi.