Phuket lion cafe investigated after reported bite

Police and tourism officials inspected Lion Cafe Simba Estate in Soi Na Yai, Chalong, on 11 August 2026 after Chinese-language social media posts alleged that a tourist suffered a skin-breaking bite during an interaction with a lion.

Chalong Police Chief Pol Col Surasak Jaidee led the inspection with officers from Phuket Tourist Police, the Phuket Provincial Tourism and Sports Office and the Tourist Assistance Center. Officials examined the venue’s licences and safety arrangements.

They found that the cafe had acknowledged an incident on 29 July involving a tourist group travelling with a tour guide. The group took part in an activity involving a seven-month-old lion cub named Charlie.

The cafe told officials that it held the required licences and vaccination records for its lions. Staff said they provided first aid by cleaning the wound and applying iodine. According to the cafe, staff later spoke with the tourists, who did not wish to pursue legal action.

Lion Cafe Simba Estate manager Mr Bank, 37, said he saw the social media reports around noon on 11 August and began checking them because they contained conflicting dates and times. He said staff had been questioned and the cafe had reviewed its timeline, but had not initially found an incident matching all the details in posts published on 9-10 August.

The cafe also questioned whether some of the circulated images and videos had been combined or edited. It said an image of the cafe entrance was taken around December last year, while an image showing a lion cub being fed milk depicted Charlie and came from the cafe.

Mr Bank said the cafe was continuing to verify whether the people mentioned in the posts were customers and was prepared to assist if they were. Officials are continuing to examine the reported injuries, any medical treatment received and the safety measures in place at the attraction.