Thailand

Thailand’s Indochinese tigers

The Indochinese tiger has faced catastrophic declines across its range in Southeast Asia, with populations in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and southern China effectively wiped out. This decline is primarily driven by poaching for illegal wildlife trade, alongside habitat loss and prey depletion.

Thailand remains the last stronghold for the Indochinese tiger, with breeding populations in only two forest complexes:

• Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai (24–34 tigers) in the east
• Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM) (140–160 tigers) in the west, where populations are showing signs of recovery.

There is unpublished evidence of tiger breeding in southern Myanmar, and in 2023, an adult female tiger was recorded there by F&F Myanmar. However, due to ongoing conflict and civil war, most tiger conservation efforts have stalled, making it impossible to assess the current population, with the last published estimate at 22 individuals.

Captive breeding presents another major concern. Thailand holds over 1,900 captive tigers, but none are suitable for conservation breeding or rewilding due to hybridisation. Only six individuals are reportedly pure Indochinese tigers of known provenance, highlighting the urgent need to protect wild populations.

The Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM)

The Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM) is Thailand’s largest and most significant conservation landscape, spanning over 18,000 km² across 181 protected areas. It includes Thung Yai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and serves as the stronghold for Indochinese tigers in mainland Southeast Asia.

WEFCOM supports a globally important population of tigers, with over 130 individuals recorded in 2023, making it the largest single tiger population in mainland Southeast Asia. This landscape also provides habitat for leopards, Asian elephants, dholes, and other threatened species, maintaining crucial ecological integrity.

Due to decades of conservation, WEFCOM’s core protected areas are effectively managed, allowing tigers to thrive and expand into adjoining protected areas. However, poaching, habitat encroachment, infrastructure development, and transboundary threats from Myanmar remain significant challenges, necessitating ongoing conservation efforts to sustain and expand this critical tiger stronghold.

Current projects

Freeland’s “Surviving Together” Programme

Freeland’s “Surviving Together” programme in Khao Laem National Park enhances Indochinese tiger conservation. As a crucial part of WEFCOM, Khao Laem supports tiger dispersal. In collaboration with Thailand’s Department of National Parks and WildCats Conservation Alliance, Freeland focuses on tiger monitoring, ranger training, and community engagement, ensuring Khao Laem remains a key wildlife corridor.

ZSL’s Intelligence Response for Combatting Tiger and Wildlife Crime (IRCT)

This project strengthens efforts to detect and disrupt tiger trafficking in Thailand’s Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM). It integrates digital surveillance, identifies trafficking networks, and provides intelligence reports to aid enforcement. In collaboration with Thailand’s Department of National Parks (DNP), it enhances prosecutions, deterrence, and intelligence-sharing, ensuring continued action against tiger and wildlife crime.