TRANG — A Thai woman was severely injured after being attacked by a pack of stray dogs on Muk Island in Trang province. The victim, 30-year-old Angkana from Sukhothai, who is married to a Russian tourist, suffered over 10 wounds.
The incident occurred around 4 p.m. on December 3rd when Angkana was walking along the beach near her resort. A single dog initially approached her barking, soon attracting 5-6 more dogs that surrounded and attacked her. The attack lasted about five minutes before local residents came to her rescue.
Angkana was taken to Kantang Hospital with multiple bite wounds on her arms, legs, fingers, and hips. She was in severe pain and continued crying from the time of the incident until arriving at the hospital.
She later told media that when she first arrived on Muk Island on November 30th, she noticed many dogs but couldn’t tell which were pets and which were strays. The dogs in the village and community areas seemed friendly, and being a dog lover herself, she felt comfortable around them. However, she was unaware that the dogs near the beach were so aggressive. As a tourist, she believes the situation is out of control and authorities should step in to manage these dogs.
Local officials report this is an ongoing problem that has persisted for 4-5 years. The stray dog population has grown significantly after pet dogs were abandoned on the island. Sommboon Tongwaree, a local council member, proposed relocating the dogs to uninhabited Yong Lam Island as a short-term solution.
Resort operator Patcharin Tongwaree, 55, emphasized that such attacks are frequent, affecting both tourists and locals. She noted that with high tourist season approaching, immediate action is needed. Previous attempts at population control through sterilization have been ineffective due to the dogs’ rapid breeding rate.
The island, whose population is 99% Muslim and generally doesn’t keep dogs as pets, now faces a crisis with hundreds of strays roaming freely, threatening tourism and public safety.
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