Government Spokesperson Chai Wacharonke said that Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was pleased with a report that Thailand had been recognized as a champion of tiger conservation in Southeast Asia, with an increase in the tiger population.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment attended a meeting marking Global Tiger Day 2024, 29 July, which also referred to the Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscapes Conference, held recently in Paro, Bhutan.

Thailand was praised at the conference for its success in increasing the number of wild tigers and enhancing tiger habitats. In 2024, the latest count shows that there are between 179 and 223 wild tigers in Thailand, an increase from 148-189 surveyed in 2022.

The increase in the country’s population of wild tigers is a significant milestone in Thailand’s tiger conservation history and makes Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia to expand its wild tiger population.

The conservation success is a result of decades of conservation efforts by the Thai government, NGOs, local partners, and communities. Conservation efforts and investment in Thailand have led to tiger recovery, particularly in the core protected areas of the Western Forest Complex in western Thailand.

According to the Second National Tiger Conservation Action Plan (2022-2034), Thailand aims to achieve three goals, namely (1) to maintain and elevate the protection standards of the Western Forest Complex, (2) to strengthen protection area management and increase the accuracy of the monitoring of the tiger population in the Dong Phayayen – Khao Yai forest complex, and (3) to increase the number of wild tigers in the forest complexes of Kaeng Krachan, Phu Khieo – Nam Nao, and Khlong Saeng – Khao Sok.

Thailand is driving tiger conservation forward in this region. The country is cited as a beacon of hope for tiger recovery in Southeast Asia, and it is also committed to preserving tiger landscapes.