Bangkok fire department rarely attends fires – but there’s a 24-hour hotline for catching snakes
To assuage the fear of locals, the fire department conducts training sessions for anyone who wants to learn how to handle serpents terrorising their homes
A fire department in northern Bangkok has not received a call for a fire since June. But for trapping a slithery foe? There is a 24-hour hotline.
“The work [catching snakes] is quite a lot,” said Suraphong Suepchai, a 46-year-old firefighter working in the Thai capital’s Lat Yao district. “For firefighting, we have none.”
Snakes are a common sight in Bangkok, a bustling city built on once swampy land, and it is not unusual to see them slithering across public spaces like parks, water canals and schools. But residents might also encounter them in their homes, especially if they have rats.
The calls to Suraphong’s fire department increase during the rainy season after new hatchlings are born.
If venomous snakes are caught during their calls, they are brought to the Bangkok Snake Farm near the centre of the city.
As for harmless snakes, Suraphong said he tries to explain to people that it’s good to have them around to keep a balanced ecosystem.