Chalong Police Station inspected Lion Cafe in Phuket yesterday, August 11, after viral photos claiming a lion had attacked a Chinese tourist raised concern over the province’s tourism image. Police found the business held a valid operating licence, and that the two lions kept there had complete ownership documents and up-to-date vaccination records.
Police Colonel Surasak Jaidee, Superintendent of Chalong Police Station, led the inspection team to the premises in Chalong subdistrict, Mueang district, Phuket province, at 4pm. Officers checked the lions’ vaccination history and found both had been vaccinated against rabies and tetanus as required, certified by Happy Paws Animal Hospital.
Officers found no sign of the incident shown in the circulating photo. The cafe’s manager told police the image was old, taken around December 2025, and did not depict a current event.
The inspections followed reports that a Chinese tourist was bitten on the arm by a lion cub during a paid interaction session at a Phuket lion cafe, which was not named in that report.
According to initial reports, cafe staff reportedly treated the wound with iodine only, and the tourist paid for rabies vaccination herself after developing mild fever and soreness, a case that spread widely on Chinese social media platforms.
Police also inspected a similar business, Lion Land Phuket, in the same subdistrict, and found it held a valid public health hazardous business licence from Chalong Subdistrict Municipality, with all its lions properly documented.
Phuket Tourist Police separately confirmed the lions’ vaccination records and the business’s trade registration and public health hazardous business licences were in order.
Officers instructed staff to closely monitor the animals’ behaviour and mood, supervise them during customer visits, and follow correct procedures when tourists interact with the lions, to prevent incidents and reassure visitors of their safety.
Lions are classified as controlled wildlife under Thailand’s Wild Animal Conservation Act. Phuket has seen previous enforcement action involving lion cafes, including the seizure of a lion cub known as Nong Kiwi in February 2024 and a raid on a cafe in Rassada in January 2025.
Chalong Police Station said the latest inspections were intended to verify the facts and prevent misunderstanding from images circulating on social media, and to reassure tourists and the public that businesses keeping wildlife or controlled animals in the area operate legally and under official oversight.
The story Old photo, not new attack, police clear Phuket lion cafe as seen on Thaiger News.
