The Village of the King Cobra

Fighting King Cobras is not on many career counselors' lists. But for Ban Khok Sa-Nga, it is one of the most esteemed professions in the village. Fortunately, I was present to see just one man earn a buck in one of the world's most dangerous jobs. The men walking around with missing fingers, the walls stocked with traditional anti-venom, and the stories of men who died fighting a spring-coiled creature with enough venom to kill twenty people attest to just how deadly boxing a King Cobra can be.

Getting to this village is not an easy task. First, one has to take a five hour bus ride up to Khon Kaen and take a rest for the night. Since I had gotten in just in time for dinner, I asked around for the best location and it seems like when most locals want to eat out, they go to Bualuang Restaurant along Beung Kaen Nakhon. I arrived to a restaurant situated on top of a pier that had an absolutely exquisite outside dining experience.

When the waiter came over, she asked me what I would like. I said I wanted "Thai food" and I wanted "spicy". Strangely enough, this was the only meal I would receive that actually had a Thai Taste, meaning spicy enough that Thai's would think it was spicy. I ordered a duck with Chinese bread along with a spicy Banana Flower Salad. When my meal arrived, I dug my fork into the strangely presented salad and dropped a good helping into my mouth. This was no five alarm chili- it was a ten alarm nuclear blast in my mouth. The dish was so spicy, tear involuntarily formed in my eyes. And just when I thought I would pass out from the pain, something very strange happened. In America, if you order Buffalo wings, it comes in this strange chemical-like sauce and the burn lasts for quite a while. The spice of the Banana Flower Salad had a much more natural, organic spiciness to it that dissipated from my mouth after less than a minute, leaving me with a sweet, tangy flavor.


Delighted by this, I helped myself to more, albeit smaller, portions of the salad until I consumed the entire dish. I laid back on my a full belly, along the water, and reveled in the fact that I was stuffed, relaxed, happy, and in Thailand. Such bliss.

The next morning began early for me. After a less than restful night sleep (let's just say the chili's got their revenge) I made my way to the bus station and took a one and a half hour journey up to the Cobra Village. The bus let me off at this small dirt road where an old woman was seated in a Tuk-Tuk. She told me it was 30B down to the village and 50B back. I happily climbed aboard her Tuk-Tuk and suddenly, we were off.


I was greeted by the "zoo keeper" and taken to the place where they keep the vast array of different animals. After paying the obligatory donation, I saw pythons, cobras, vipers, anacondas, alligators, tigers and monkeys. To be quite honest, I was a bit disgusted by the state of the cages. They were quite small (especially for the larger animals) and were shoddily constructed. The animals seemed quite agitated or depressed, and to be fair, I don't blame them. After the small tour, I took my seat as the only spectator for the King Cobra boxing match.

A man went on the stage and opened a box. He put a long stick into the box and removed a very large, and what appeared to be a very angry, King Cobra. These matches used to be conducted with Cobras, but since they spit their venom, the fight is now done with its close cousin, the King Cobra. The match was pure spectacle, but also rather frightening. The snake would slither along the stage, raise its head and expand its hood. Then, when the opportunity would present itself, it would strike with a sharp, aggressive blow. The Cobra boxer had two choices at this point. It could either quickly dodge the attack or return it was a defensive smack on the head. This went on for a few minutes before the snake decided to make its getaway.


The snake turned away and started slithering very quickly in my direction. Now this stage was only about three feet off the ground, and there are no cages or walls to keep the Cobra contained in the show. So you can only imagine the panic in my eyes when I saw a very large and agitated King Cobra coming straight for me. First I leaned back in my chair, then stood up, and then was about to dash away when the cobra stopped maybe two yards away. Just in time, the Cobra boxer grabbed the snake's tail and pulled it back on stage. In doing so, the snake whipped around and shot it's head back at the boxer signaling the start of another round.

Again, I was less than enthralled with this spectacle; not because I wasn't entertained or, admittedly, a bit on edge. It was because of the treatment of these animals. Judging by the behavior of the snake on stage, it was agitated only because it was conditioned to be so. After kept in a box, it attacked the boxer and then made several attempts to flee, only to be pulled back by the snake boxer. What's more, to my left was an enormous shelf of souvenir and t-shirts: the very making of a tourist trap. Appalled by the treatment of these animals that were plucked from their environment and placed into poverty-like conditions at the "King Cobra Conservation Project" I refused to give an expected donation. While the show maybe exhilarating, I certainly don't recommend supporting the unethical capturing and taunting of wild animals.

From your snake charmer and King Cobra Kick Boxer of Ban Khok Sa-Nga, Michael.