BANGKOK — Each year, approximately 30,000 snakes are captured by fire and rescue personnel in Bangkok, where expanding urban development and seasonal flooding increasingly displace the reptiles from their natural habitats. Among the city’s snake-catchers, Pinyo Pukpinyo, 56, stands out for his dedicated efforts to rescue and release these animals rather than kill them.
Mr. Pinyo has served with Bangkok’s fire department for nearly four decades, initially joining with the aim of pursuing a conventional firefighting role. However, he quickly discovered that responding to snake calls forms a significant part of the job in Thailand’s capital, a city where snakes such as cobras, pythons, kraits, and pit vipers are routinely found hidden in sewers, flowerpots, toilets, and even inside residential buildings. Non-venomous snakes like tree snakes and rat snakes are common as well.
Driven by his Buddhist beliefs and a conviction that snakes are displaced victims of human encroachment, especially during the monsoon season when flooding forces them into urban areas, Mr. Pinyo is committed to capturing and safely relocating the animals. “They deserve to return to nature,” he said, adding that snakes typically bite only in self-defense.
Currently, Mr. Pinyo faces a logistical challenge with an overflow of snakes collected at his Bang Khen Fire station, now temporarily relocated to a cramped facility beneath an elevated monorail during renovations. In this space, he houses more than 200 snakes, including at least 70 cobras and large pythons measuring up to 15 feet. Every few months, Mr. Pinyo drives out of the city to release the snakes into national parks or forests before resuming trapping duties.
Feeding the large number of snakes costs roughly $300 monthly, expenses Mr. Pinyo covers personally. His family has mixed feelings about his work, with his late father reportedly unwilling to visit him during a hospitalization caused by a snakebite. Despite the risks—Mr. Pinyo has been hospitalized four times after venomous bites—he views the work as his destiny and has become an experienced handler and trainer.
To better equip other Bangkok residents in dealing with snakes, Mr. Pinyo and his team conduct training sessions, such as a recent workshop at a Mövenpick hotel where employees practiced safely capturing cobras using water bottles and towels. These exercises aim to reduce panic and improve preparedness, highlighting the frequency with which snakes intrude into homes, offices, and businesses across the city.
Mr. Pinyo’s role also extends beyond snake capture. Residents frequently seek his expertise when snakes are spotted, as seen in accounts of snakes found in private homes or offices. Although venomous snakes pose significant health hazards, including paralysis and severe injury as illustrated by incidents involving his colleagues and others, many snake encounters involve non-dangerous species.
As Bangkok’s urban landscape continues to expand amid climate pressures, encounters between humans and snakes are likely to grow. Through his cautious, compassionate approach, Mr. Pinyo exemplifies the delicate balance between coexisting with wildlife and ensuring public safety in one of the world’s most densely populated cities.