Bestseller
Private
Private
Last updated 25 October 2026 · By the Pig Island Samui team
Pig Island is not a sanctuary, and no welfare body certifies it. The pigs on Koh Madsum, off Koh Samui, are domestic pigs living loose on a beach. Islanders feed them and they have shade and the sea. Most risks come from visitors: over-feeding, chasing, lifting and heat. A careful visit keeps it fair.
Is it ethical to visit Pig Island?
We think it can be, if visitors behave well. The pigs are not caged, chained or made to perform. They walk where they like, sleep in the shade and wade in the shallows to cool down.
But it is not a wildlife reserve. It is a tourist stop built around animals, and some visitors treat the pigs as props. The answer depends on who turns up, including us.
Who looks after the pigs, and what do they eat?
No public body or charity runs the island’s pigs, as far as we know. In 2020 the island’s shop owner told a Thai business newspaper that his group brought six pigs over to eat scraps. He said they fed the pigs boiled rice and planned to keep the herd at about 11. We have no newer account and no published vet records.
Today visitors add a lot of food. The beach restaurant sells small bags of pig food, often puffed rice crackers. Guides bring fruit such as watermelon or bananas. Visitors usually count 10 to 12 pigs, sometimes with piglets. Read how the pigs came to Koh Madsum.
How do the pigs cope with the heat?
Pigs barely sweat. Farm-vet guidance says they lose heat mainly by wetting their skin, through mud, wallowing or water. Light-skinned pigs can also burn, and a coat of mud protects better than plain water.
On Koh Madsum, the pigs handle this themselves. They lie in the shade under the trees through the middle of the day and wade into the sea. That is why mornings are livelier and afternoons quieter. Visitors who tempt a resting pig out into the sun for a photo are working against what keeps it healthy.
What are the risks, to pigs and to people?
- Over-feeding. Dozens of handfuls a day add up, and pigs eating off the sand swallow sand.
- Wrong food. Crisps, sweets, bread and alcohol do not belong in a pig. In 2017 several pigs died at Pig Beach in the Bahamas. Vets found sand in their stomachs, and visitor food was also blamed.
- Sunburn and heat stress. A pig kept out of the shade for photos is a pig getting hot.
- Nips and bites. Pigs grab at food fast and do not always tell fingers from snacks. A mother may push or nip if she thinks her piglets are at risk.
- Germs. Healthy-looking farm animals can still carry bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli. Under-fives are most at risk. Wash with soap and water after contact, or use hand gel.
How should you behave around the pigs?
Please follow this code, whoever you travel with.
Do
- Crouch, stay still and let the pigs come to you.
- Feed small amounts of island-sold food or fruit from a guide, from a flat palm.
- Approach from the side. Pigs cannot see directly behind them.
- Keep children beside you and hold small hands.
- Wash or gel hands after contact and before eating.
- Pick up your own rubbish, including bottle caps and food bags.
Don’t
- Chase, corner, lift, hug or ride a pig.
- Wake a sleeping pig or lure one into the sun.
- Feed crisps, sweets, bread, meat or alcohol.
- Tease with food or hold it out of reach.
- Step between a mother and her piglets.
- Use a drone low over the animals.
What do we ask our crews to do?
We cannot control every boat on the beach, only our own. These are our standing instructions for guides and captains.
- Brief guests on the visitor code before the boat lands.
- Bring only fruit or island-sold food, in small amounts.
- Step in, politely, if a guest chases, lifts or teases a pig.
- Time arrivals to avoid the biggest crowds where the sea allows.
- Carry hand gel and offer it before lunch.
- Take every bit of our rubbish back to Koh Samui.
On our small-group longtail tour, numbers are capped at 12, which makes this easier. A private longtail lets you choose a quieter time of day.
Why don’t we show lifting or riding pigs?
You will see photos online of people hugging, lifting or sitting on the pigs. We do not use them, and we ask guests not to copy them.
Pigs are prey animals. Being lifted off the ground frightens them, and they often squeal or kick. A kicking pig can injure itself or the person holding it. Handling guides advise letting pigs approach on their own terms. Riding loads a back and legs not built for it.
Photos spread, too. Every “pig hug” shot invites the next visitor to try it.
Ready to plan? Compare all our Pig Island tours, or read about visiting with children.
