Trat market vendors deny monitor lizard meat sold there

AFTER two suspects arrested in Suphanburi said the large number of live monitor lizards and carcasses found at their slaughterhouse were to be sent for consumption along Thai-Cambodian border at Trat, vendors at a large border market denied both Thais and Cambodians living in their area consumed such meat, Thai Rath newspaper and Sanook.com said this afternoon (Mar. 2).

Upon being questioned the two suspects said monitor lizard meat was sold to vendors at markets along the Thai-Cambodian border in Trat for sale to consumers to cook into various dishes.

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) had also denied they raided a fishball factory mentioned on a social media page with this being a slaughterhouse.

Thai Rath’s reporters visited Bo Phloi municipal fresh market in Trat’s Bo Rai district and saw that there was no monitor lizard meat there with chicken, pork, beef and dry goods being sold to shoppers.

Mr. Supis Tiengthaisong, a pork trader and director of Bo Phloi market, said there is no record of any merchant in this market bringing monitor lizard meat for sale. Almost a hundred percent of people in this district consume pork, beef and chicken meat.

If they find out it is meat from this lizard they would not touch it nor would they eat wildlife, he added.

However he was uncertain whether it is on sale at other markets along the border as he had never inspected them.

Meanwhile Mr. Chu, a Cambodian vegetable vendor in this district, told the reporters that Cambodians are familiar with monitor lizards and its meat is not favoured by his countryfolk who prefer to consume pork, beef and chicken similar to Thais.