Trade and trafficking in tigers and tiger parts in Thailand drew international attention following the seizure of 400kg of tiger meat and carcasses in Bangkok's Khlong Sam Wa district earlier this month. It's remained a thorny issue in Thailand despite global efforts to save the animals from extinction.The 1992 act strictly outlaws trade in tigers or tiger parts, and moreover, tigers are protected by the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which prohibits international trade in protected animals, animal parts and derivatives for commercial purposes.
This means that the private zoos cannot buy or sell tigers or other restricted animals to each other or to anyone else. Private zoo owners usually say their animals were in their possession before the restrictions were in place or are the offspring of such animals. Transfers of animals between licensed private zoos are also allowed with approval from the National Parks Department, but this is a complicated process.
As the number of private zoos has grown, the National Parks Department has tightened the regulations for issuing new licences for the zoos, and concerned government agencies have also stepped up suppression efforts against smugglers.