A roll on ferry shuttled us from the mainland over to a small island. As we waited for the ferry to fill up- as they only leave when they are full, we noticed a truck pull up next to us with 5 monkeys sat in the back.
In the southern provinces of Thailand monkeys are trained to collect coconuts from the treetops. They are somewhat affectionate with their owners but quite vicious with strangers. As I held my hand out to touch it, it began watching my every move until the last moment when it showed its teeth and gave a fake lunge towards me as a warning- the owner smiled as if he had seen it all before!
He didn't want to shake hands or be touched, but he was more than happy to let me take a photo as he positioned himself in his favourite pose!
The monkeys have a wire necklace which is tied to a long rope. This stops them from escaping when they are half way up a tree or in the back of a truck. The necklaces are strong enough so that they cant twist it off but loose enough to not cause discomfort!
The crossing was only 10 mins and if you wanted a quicker crossing with a shorter loading wait, smaller boats were available for motorbikes or walk-on passengers.