Chatuchak Market fire: Hundreds of animals die in Thailand tourist hotspot blaze - why is it controversial?

Hundreds of caged animals have died in a fire at one of the most popular markets in Thailand’s capital - one infamous with conservationists and animal activists.

The blaze at Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok was reported early on Tuesday morning (11 June), the Associated Press reports, and quickly swept across more than 100 shops in the market’s pet section. Thai officials said it took them about an hour to bring it under control.

No people are believed to have been injured or killed, but local media report that the fire killed several hundred caged animals inside shops, including dogs, fish, snakes, birds and rabbits. Officials could be seen working at the site in the morning, inspecting the charred buildings or breaking metal gates to bring out surviving animals.

Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the cause of the blaze was still under investigation, while officials added that they were still working on estimating the cost of the damage - but affected shop owners would be able to apply for compensation.

Why is the market controversial?

The sprawling Chatuchak market is popular with tourists visiting the Thai capital, with hundreds of shops and stalls selling everything from food to clothes, furniture, plants, books and pets. However, wildlife organisations have often accused some vendors - particularly those in the pet sections - of being involved in trafficking rare and endangered species, especially reptiles and birds.

In a statement published online, Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand - a local NGO which campaigns for conservation causes and runs wildlife rescue centres - claimed that wild animals including swans, cockatoos, and monkeys were among those killed in the fire. Animals at the market were frequently kept in small cages, in poor conditions, they continued.

Founder Edwin Wiek said: “Chatuchak Market is a place that has long been open to the illegal wildlife trade. We ask the governor to consider closing the animal market [section]… especially the wildlife trade, because most of them come from smuggling animals across the country to sell in Thailand.”

This was not the first time that a fire has occurred at a controversial Thai facility where wild animals were being kept, he added. Pata Zoo, which housed animals including a gorilla inside a shopping mall, was eventually closed down after a fire in 2020. “Like Pata Zoo confining endangered animals for the entertainment of tourists, the governors should consider stopping [the market’s pet trade] immediately.”

According to the Zoological Society of London, the illegal wildlife trade is the fourth biggest illegal activity worldwide, behind arms, drugs and human trafficking, and is often run by the same criminal syndicates. It is worth around US$23 billion (£18 billion) a year, “and leaves a trail of destruction which is wiping out species and destroying people's lives”.

Amber Allott is NationalWorld’s environment and sustainability specialist, covering all things green - from climate to conservation. If you liked this article you can follow Amber on X (Twitter) here and sign up for the free daily NationalWorld Today newsletter here - with Amber bringing you the UK's most important, pressing, weird and wonderful environmental stories every Tuesday.