How Are Thai Coconuts Harvested? Monkey School Teaches Students to Climb Trees and Pick Coconuts

By Li Xinyi, interview and report

Thailand is rich in coconut production, and coconut products are both economical and affordable. But do you know how coconuts are picked from tall coconut trees? The answer is by using monkeys to harvest them. This method has been practiced in Thailand for over a hundred years, and the first monkey school was established in Surat Thani Province, Thailand, which has a history of 50 years. The monkeys trained here can pick 500 to 1,000 coconuts a day—an astonishing yield.

The Monkey Training College was originally founded by Somporn, who taught monkeys to climb trees to pick coconuts. After his passing, his daughter Somjai has continued the tradition of teaching monkeys. Somjai explained that the monkey species mainly used for coconut picking is Macaca nemestrina. It takes at least three months for a monkey student to learn how to use its hands and feet to bite down on coconuts from trees—but the time needed also depends on their IQ.

A series of monkey courses begins with teaching them how to turn coconuts in wooden boxes. When monkeys climb trees, people communicate with them through ropes tied to their bodies, so they must also be taught how to handle potential problems in the trees—such as how to untangle the rope if it gets caught on branches. Somjai asked a senior “student” to demonstrate several methods of untying the rope, and the nimble movements amazed the audience.

Once this stage is passed, they begin tree-climbing lessons. Picking coconuts hanging from the trees must start from the lower parts and gradually move higher. The most important thing during this process is to let the young monkeys feel a sense of accomplishment. “Because if you leave them alone on a high tree for an hour, they’ll get frustrated and lose interest,” said Somjai. Turning a coconut slightly so it falls down can boost the little monkey’s confidence. Other ways to increase their interest include sweet-talking them, playing with them, or giving them food—the reward method varies depending on each student's preferences.

In addition to picking coconuts, monkeys also need to learn how to retrieve coconuts that fall into the pool, as well as how to ride motorcycles with their owners to the plantation for work. Graduating from monkey school is no easy task. Most students are brought in by locals for training. Somjai teaches one-on-one, with a total of six months of indoor and outdoor training. The tuition, which includes meals and accommodation, is 7,000 baht. This course is called “elementary school.” If a particularly talented monkey is identified, it can advance to the “middle school” course, where it learns how to put coconuts into bags and carry them to the location specified by the owner. Even more skilled monkeys can move on to the “high school” course.

These monkey schools were once only found in southern Thailand, but now they can also be seen in central and northern regions. Somjai remains committed to her father’s vision, training monkeys to pick coconuts here. Interested visitors can book a tour for a fee of around 50–100 baht. After seeing the monkey training process, the next time you use Thai coconut products, don’t forget the monkeys’ contribution.

Monkey Training College website: www.firstmonkeyschool.com