A resort on Koh Larn, Pattaya, came under fire over safety concerns after a guest revealed that she found three geckos, one of which was later eaten by a snake in the bathroom during a stay in March 2024.
The guest, Darin Pookung, shared the story on Facebook yesterday, September 24, along with pictures of the resort and animals and a video of the incident.
Darin said she and her friend initially checked into the accommodation as usual and were impressed by its atmosphere and facilities. She planned to wake up early the following morning to prepare for a photoshoot with the resort.
At about 7am the next day, Darin entered the bathroom and switched on the light. She said she immediately saw three geckos on the wall above the door.
Darin said she was too frightened to leave the bathroom and asked her friend for help. However, her friend was outside the bathroom and also did not dare to enter.
Shortly afterwards, a snake appeared and attacked one of the geckos. She said she screamed and cried in fear before deciding to open the bathroom door quickly and escape.
A hotel maid and the resort owner then went to the room to remove the animals. Darin said they used a pestle and tongs to remove the geckos and snake.
Darin said she asked the owner what would happen next for her and her friend as guests. According to Darin, the owner replied, “It (the resort) sticks to a forest, OK?”
Darin said she did not ask for compensation or move to another accommodation because she and her friends were young and had little money at the time.
Her post later went viral on Thai social media. Some users found the encounter amusing, while others encouraged Darin and her friend to seek responsibility from the resort owner.
Some social media users who were planning to visit Koh Larn soon also asked Darin to reveal the name of the accommodation.
The resort owner later responded in a post on the resort’s Facebook page. The owner said geckos and snakes were part of nature and that people were also part of nature.
“Geckos and snakes are part of nature, and we, too, are a part of that nature. We cannot separate our lives from nature.”
The owner said he had tried to seal the ceilings of each accommodation unit to prevent animals from entering. However, he said the surrounding natural environment meant such incidents could still occur. He also said encounters with animals of this kind did not happen often.
The owner asked guests to understand the idea of living alongside nature and the reality that “nothing is perfect”. He ended his post by saying that the accommodation was part of nature and the wider world and that he would not refuse any living creatures.
Many netizens disagreed with the owner’s response, arguing that hotels and resorts should prioritise guest safety.
Comments included…
“This is an accommodation. It is supposed to ensure the safety of its guests. You aren’t running an exotic zoo where people are expected to understand and accept this perspective.”
“We paid for the safe stay.”
“Wake up, sleeping with geckos and snakes is not considered a special occasion.”
“Let’s go open a zoo rather than a hotel then.”
Some users also questioned whether the same argument would apply if the snake were venomous, with one asking, “Are you sleeping with snakes?”
Despite the criticism, Darin said she shared the incident simply to recount her experience and did not intend to seek anything from the resort owner. She also urged people to read her story as entertainment rather than as an attempt to seek compensation.
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The story Resort owner says ‘animals are part nature’ after guest encounters snake, geckos as seen on Thaiger News.
