Harsh treatment of rats in Pattaya
The other day I was walking along Beach Road in Pattaya when I saw several Thai men with big sticks knocking rats out of trees and beating them to death on the beach.
Occasionally the Thai men would sadistically throw a fully conscious rat to a dog, which would tear the rat up.
Ironically the only time I see rats on Beach Road is when the Thais knock them out of the trees. Why don’t people leave those poor animals alone? They aren’t hurting anyone.
Doesn’t Buddhism teach us to respect all life? But I guess a country where many people routinely beat and torture baby elephants and throw their own dogs out in the street when they tire of them, isn’t likely to show much mercy towards the “lowly” rat.
Eric Bahrt
Pattaya
