My partner and I are planning on traveling to SE Asia this November for a couple months. Our ideal experience would involve witnessing lots of wildlife, hunting/trapping/fishing and foraging, and interacting with locals who also hunt/trap/forage for subsistence. We're not the kind of travelers who care about restaurants, temples, bars, partying, etc. Would rather spend as little time as possible in the cities. We both have experience with backpacking and wilderness skills in the United States, and are prepared to travel out of a backpack and camp along the way wherever we go in SE Asia. Does anyone have any advice on how we could make our dream become a reality? We're visiting Thailand for sure, and hopefully also the Philippines. Cambodia, Malaysia, and Indonesia also interest me. I understand that foraging and hunting are expressly illegal in the National Parks in Thailand, which is why I'm hoping for a way to meet locals who would be interested in hosting me such that we could hunt/forage together without breaking any laws.
Laws or no laws the enforcement is weak and sporadic........Wildlife in Thailand is severely threatened by hunting and other encroachment by people into areas where they destroy the prey available to other animals and upset the already delicate balance of nature.
Why do that when Thailand like other countries grows and kills domesticated animals for us to eat?
Why contribute to the already intolerable pressures but on the Thai ecosystems?
There have been many more responses to this question reposted on the SEA branch. It might be an idea viewing those before giving detailed responses here.
Paul
At Khunwilko
Laws or no laws the enforcement is weak and sporadic........Wildlife in Thailand is severely threatened by hunting and other encroachment by people into areas where they destroy the prey available to other animals and upset the already delicate balance of nature.Why do that when Thailand like other countries grows and kills domesticated animals for us to eat?
Why contribute to the already intolerable pressures but on the Thai ecosystems?
Absolutely agree 100% - and you could find enough carrion on Thailand's roads to survive - you haven't got to go round shooting everything that moves and goodness knows Thailands eco-system is on a knife edge.
#6 I was in a bus once somewhere in Thailand (it was very long ago and I can't remember). the bus ran over something -- the assistant got out and went back -- he came back with a snake proudly held in his hand -- a passenger explaned that he was taking it home for dinner.
Paul
Hunting, fishing and foraging are widely practiced in rural communities across the whole of Thailand, and naturally (pun intended) it is very different to what you might have practiced in the west.
By example: Scroll through this Facebook group's page and you'll find plenty examples of hunting, foraging and fishing รวมพลคนเกษตรพอเพียง
Fishing is hugely popular in Thailand and you'll find people fishing most lakes or rivers, but if you want to experience the best fishing you probably need to join a tour, example: Example Fishing Tour
If it is rifle or bow hunting you are looking for then I'm not sure you'll find this in Thailand. That said I regularly hear rifles being fired in the hills around Nan while I'm out cycle training.
Finally, here's another example of the kind of foraging that goes on in most parts of rural Thailand: http://www.mythaihomestead.com/living-off-the-land/
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