BANGKOK — A bizarre dispute between condominium residents in Bangkok’s Ratchada area has escalated dramatically, with one resident releasing two large snakes in a common area as revenge against a neighbor who kept a dog in the pet-free building.
The incident came to light after social media user Akarapon shared video footage showing two massive snakes, each approximately 3 meters long, slithering in front of a condominium unit. According to Akarapon, the building has previously housed Chinese businesspeople connected to gray businesses, scammers, illegal gambling operators, and even experienced a suicide case.
Another social media user named Nuii explained that the snake owner had previously complained to management about a neighboring unit keeping a dog that barked, created odors, and allegedly caused flea infestations. After management reportedly failed to resolve the issue, the frustrated resident acquired snakes as retaliation and released them in the corridor outside their unit.
The snake owner boldly posted in the condominium’s resident chat group: “Bring your cats and dogs out to play! My pets want to show their love by hugging your dogs so tightly they won’t be able to bark. Since management can’t handle this, I’ll keep pets too. Let’s turn this place into Safari World.”
In response to the tension, the condominium management posted in the residents’ LINE chat group on May 19, stating they received reports about large reptiles in common areas. Upon investigation, building staff discovered two large snakes on the 34th floor of Building A.
“We have issued warnings to the snake owner and ordered immediate removal of the animals, with a 1,000 baht ($30) fine. We’ve also fined the dog owner 10,000 baht ($302) from the date we confirmed they were keeping pets illegally. We apologize for this incident and request all residents to refrain from keeping pets,” said the management statement.
The building manager revealed that the condominium houses approximately 2,000 residents across 1,393 units. The management company only took over operations in late 2024 and was aware of complaints about the dog dating back to 2023, but previous inspections had found no evidence. After negotiations with authorities present, the snake owner eventually agreed to remove the reptiles and pay the fine.
Management acknowledged that part of the enforcement problem stems from their office being located on the 4th floor, making it difficult to monitor residents bringing pets through the lobby. The company has pledged stricter enforcement of the no-pets policy going forward.
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