BANGKOK — Thai authorities have authorized commercial breeding of Asian water monitors and set breeding stock prices at 500 baht ($15.5) each as the reptile population increases dramatically in urban areas.
Atthapon Charoenchansa, Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, announced on July 3 that the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Committee had addressed the growing water monitor population during its first meeting of 2025 on July 2.
“The significant increase in water monitor numbers has become a major concern discussed at the meeting,” Atthapon said. Water monitors are protected wildlife, making it illegal to possess, kill, or trade them, with violations punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and fines up to 1 million baht ($30,885).
However, recent legal amendments now permit water monitor breeding for commercial purposes, provided operators obtain permits from the Department of National Parks. The department conducts thorough inspections of applicants’ facilities, including cages, locations, and surrounding environments.
Following the authorization of water monitor breeding, the committee has set the price for breeding stock at 500 baht ($15.5) per animal, available from wildlife breeding stations operated by the Department of National Parks nationwide.
“I want to emphasize that anyone wishing to purchase water monitors for breeding must first obtain permission from the Department of National Parks,” Atthapon stressed.
The committee had previously established prices for other wildlife species available as breeding stock for commercial purposes, including wild deer at 30,000 baht ($926.5) each, silver pheasants at 2,000 baht ($62), reticulated pythons at 400 baht ($12.3), cobras at 200 baht ($6.1), and Burmese pythons at 500 baht ($15.5).
Water monitors represent the latest species for which the committee has set breeding stock prices at 500 baht each.
Prepare Monitor Lizard Breeding Program
Chalem Pummai, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Office at the Department of National Parks, provided additional details on the upcoming monitor lizard breeding initiative. He explained that commercial breeding of monitor lizards can only begin after the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Committee’s pricing resolution is officially published in the Royal Gazette.
The program will commence at the Khao Son Wildlife Breeding Station in Ratchaburi Province, which currently houses 290 monitor lizards under care. These animals were captured following public complaints about nuisance issues in various areas, and releasing them back into the wild could potentially recreate the same problems.
New Economic Opportunity for Farmers
The introduction of monitor lizards as a new economic animal species is expected to generate income for farmers and entrepreneurs nationwide. The primary commercial use will likely focus on processing the animals’ hides into various products.
Chalem emphasized that the breeding program will not impact wild monitor lizard populations due to strict regulatory measures. All breeding stock will be implanted with microchips, and operators must report to the department whenever offspring are produced.
Legal Protections Remain in Place
The director warned that anyone caught illegally capturing wild monitor lizards or keeping them without proper permits will face legal consequences. He stressed that monitor lizards retain their protected species status, though they can now be legally bred under the new regulations.
The comprehensive tracking system aims to prevent illegal harvesting from wild populations while allowing legitimate commercial breeding operations to develop this new agricultural sector.
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