Many families in Surat Thani, a province in southern Thailand make a living from coconut tree plantations. But for a safe harvest from trees which can go up to 20 meters, people around here train and employ monkeys to harvest the coconuts. Watch how monkeys harvest coconuts in Surat Thani in today’s Asia Featured. | The Daily Star

A monkey picking coconut. I never knew about monkeys picking coconuts until I’ve seen it for real here in Thailand. It’s amazing to watch a monkey doing this act. Monkey coconut harvesting is a traditional practice primarily in Thailand, and to a lesser extent in Malaysia and Indonesia, where pig-tailed macaques are trained to climb tall trees and pick ripe coconuts. As of 2026, the practice is under significant global scrutiny and is being phased out in many sectors due to animal welfare concer