Monkey show dies with owner

[Guest guest]

The Nation (Thailand)

August 23, 2002, Friday

Monkey show dies with owner

 

The renowned " Khai Nui " monkey shows and training school have abruptly shut

down after owner and trainer Somporn sae Khow died of heart failure on

Tuesday.

 

Somporn, 60, was famous for his expertise in the monkey business. He founded

a school that trained monkeys to work on coconut farms and created

impressive monkey shows that drew large crowds of tourists. Somporn and his

favourite monkey, Khai Nui, generated huge income for their hometown for

many years.

 

" He's famous and he made our province famous. Without him, it'll be quiet

here. My heart sank at the thought that the monkey school will be gone, "

said Sa-ngiam Chuaychoo, a Surat Thani resident.

 

Somjai sae Khow, one of Somporn's daughters, said the monkey shows and

school would have to come to a complete stop because no one else in the area

has the expertise her father had. Somjai and her siblings only helped with

feeding the monkeys.

 

" No one else is going to be as great a monkey trainer as my dad. All the

monkeys did exactly what he told them to do, " she said.

 

She said she has already informed travel agencies and educational

institutions with bookings to see the shows that all arrangements have to be

cancelled. Somjai said people who placed their monkeys in Somporn's school

have taken their animals back.

 

She thanked everyone for remembering her father, as many people including

senior officials and high-profile local business operators attended his

funeral. Khai Nui and other adult monkeys appeared dejected.

 

" They seem to know that their owner is gone. Khai Nui has eaten very little

and kept looking at the coffin, " she said.

 

Pramoj Sapyen, director of the Tourism of Thailand's southern bureau, said

he felt saddened by Somporn's death. He said the monkey master was a key

player in the province's tourist industry and research initiatives.

 

" He contributed to tourism. He helped draw money to the province, " Pramoj

said.

 

Monsak Saengsomboon, a business operator in central Thailand, said he was on

a business trip to Surat Thani when he learnt about Somporn's death. He then

went straight to the funeral.

 

" I used to take my clients here to see the monkey shows. I'm sad and I

lament that the monkey school will be closed permanently, " he said.

 

Monsak said it would be great if anyone could continue Somporn's dream and

run the monkey school.

 

Somporn, a Surat Thani-born coconut farmer, only completed grade 4 but had

big plans since the age of 17. He hoped to set up a monkey-training facility

for the sake of primates that were often beaten when failing to collect

coconuts from trees properly.

 

He started by training " Khai Nui " - devising and refining his own training

programme, including the use of various kinds of equipment. His key

principle was to train with love and compassion.

 

" Training those who don't know should not involve beatings. Beating comes

with anger that interrupts the wisdom that is much needed during the

learning process, " he was quoted as saying about his training techniques.