A popular snake charmer whose unique ability to kiss the heads of king cobras announced he would retire from show business before his luck runs out.
Thongkhum Chaibuddee, aka Thongchai Lukthongchai, aka the King of King Cobras, said that after almost 30 years, he would stop kissing snakes due to his old age and fear he will be killed or poisoned like many of his deceased colleagues.
The decision came as a surprise for many as the 62-year-old snake charmer; who has seduced serpents in Phuket, Bangkok, and at the King Cobra Village in Khon Kaen province; has been one of the most renowned snake charmers in Thailand since 1995.
Known as The King of King Cobras, he held two Guinness World Records – one from 2006 for kissing the most king cobras (19!) and another in 2010 for kissing king 34 cobras in three minutes in Rome. He also received a golden certificate on display at the Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Museum in Pattaya.
Thongkhum said he believed he has experienced everything life has to offer and has fully paid all of his car installments. During Songkran in April, his wife asked him to come back from his snake-smooching life in Bangkok to live with his family in Khon Kaen province. He said his doctor warned that people over 60 don’t tend to live much longer as four other elderly snake charmers have died in the line of duty.
A Charmed Life, by the Numbers:
Years ravishing reptiles: 28
Most cobras kissed at once in 2006: 19
Most cobras kissed in the Italian capital: 34
Income on Phuket: THB50,000 (US$1,440) per month.
Income in Bangkok: THB22,000 (US$635) plus tips up to THB1,000 per day.
Thongkhum himself has been bitten four times and almost died three times. The most recent incident was in 2014 in Phuket, where he had to stay in the ICU for two days.
Thongkhum still keeps five king cobras in wooden crates behind his house. He plans to raise them and sell them to an interested buyer. The price will be determined by weight – THB1,000 per kilogram. The weight of the snakes ranges from 4 kilograms to 5 kilograms, in case you’re interested.
He will be assisted by his wife, Jundaeng Chaibuddee, 58, who sells woven blankets and earns an average daily income of THB400 to THB500, which is enough for their needs and expenses.
Even though he will no longer perform, Thongkhum said he’s still happy to talk to visitors about king cobras, though they won’t be able to see any snakes.
