In rural Thailand there are many stray and abandoned animals. These are neglected animals which tend to become aggressive around people as they seek to protect themselves. It should be noted that not everybody in Thailand treats animals like this and in most areas there are people who will ensure that the animals have enough food.
There have also been concerns for the plight of wild animals in Thailand. Animals such as tigers and elephants are rapidly reducing in numbers and the conservation schemes that are in place are fairly basic.
Charities that work for the welfare of animals include the Wild Animal Rescue Foundation of Thailand. The charity is staffed by volunteers and dates back to 1992. The main activities of the charity are the conservation of animals and their natural habitats, education about their welfare and taking steps to put an end to the trade in wild animals.
The Noistar Thai Animal Rescue Foundation works on the island of Koh Tao. The charity was founded in 2002 and runs a veterinary clinic and rescue centre. The charity has a large number of volunteers as well as full time staff and relies on donations. Phangan Animal Care runs a charity which takes care of stray and unwanted animals. The charity runs a vaccination programme, a veterinary clinic and works in local schools to educate children about animals and their care.
As with those charities already mentioned, many are local charities. Thailand does not have an equivalent to the RSPCA or the PDSA so there are few charities which work on a national basis.