A Frenchman has been charged with illegally keeping four young macaques after sharing their photos on social media.
Naruphon Thipmontha of the Natural Resources, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department said that department officials and police from the Natural Resources and Environment Crime Division searched the man's house in Soi On Nut 66 in Prawet district, Bangkok, on Thursday and confiscated four monkeys.
The Government Public Relations Department identified him as Jamil Zinedine.
The search, authorised by the Phra Khanong Criminal Court, was prompted by Mr Zinedine's TikTok posts featuring the baby animals.
According to Mr Naruphon, the foreigner claimed he rented the house during his stay in Thailand and acquired the animals from an unidentified person, raising them out of personal interest.
Macaques are one of the animals under protection by law. They are included in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), requiring possession permits from authorities.
Violators face fines of up to 500,000 baht and/or imprisonment for up to five years.
The official did not specify the punishment imposed on Mr Zinedine, who is said to have estimated the value of the four macaques at around 30,000 baht. All were handed over to the Wildlife Conservation Office for tending.