Material was prepared with activists of the Anima International organization in Pathum Thani province near Bangkok. This photo album contains photographs from pigs’ slaughterhouse on the main street of the city. Next to it there is a Buddhist temple and meat processing plants.
People who work there are mostly refugees from Burma, living in this slaughterhouse. In this slaughterhouse, there is a residential zone and shops. Personal and professional life are mixed together.
Pigs are transported in trucks, from which they are then chased out with sharp poles. In the concrete pens they’re waiting for their turn, slowly getting closer to the place where they will be killed. Slaughter takes place in a large hall covered with a metal roof, without walls. Slaughter begins by sticking a metal rod into pig’s cheek to pull animal onto butcher’s table. When two man hold animal, the third one sticks a big knife into its neck, pulling one of the organs out of the wound. Then animal gets hit in the head and is thrown into a boiled water, where its skin is scalded and hair is scraped off. Next pig’s head is cut off and interiors are thrown on the floor. Half-carcasses are hung on hangers while waiting for pickup. In the meantime, employees’ children are playing right there in the slaughterhouse… At the end there is only one pig remaining which is tied with a golden ribbon. Her life was spared in the name of the law of karma.
While saying goodbye to us, everyone was smiling.
On the wall a banner hangs with the words:
“Announcement from the municipality of Pathum
Subject: An announcement from the ministry of
agriculture and co-ops regarding the special days
when the slaughtering is prohibited
1.
The day before Buddhist holy days, slaughtering is
prohibited from 16.00 to 24.00
2.
On Buddhist holy days, the slaughtering is
prohibited from 00.01 to 24.00
3.
Other special days as specified by the Minister for
agriculture and co-ops as recommended by the
committee, slaughtering is prohibited from 00.01
to 24.00
Penalty
–
Those who violate and kill animals in those
specified days and times are subjected to the
fine according to the number of animals
(pigs), not more than 20,000 Thai Baht per
animal.
–
The slaughterhouse will be suspended if the
officer from the department of livestock
development finds out that there’s
slaughtering on the specified days and times.”
