Tourists are hiring professional ‘pigeon spookers’ in Thailand

City Pigeons

Tourists visiting Tha Pae Gate have been paying professional ‘pigeon spookers’ to spice up their Instagram pictures.

The famous 13th-century gate, which is located in Chiang Mai, Thailand, attracts thousands of tourists each year who often take photos at the plaza in front of the wall, according to Lonely Planet. The plaza is also home to an absolute truckload of pigeons, which have become a must-have accessory for the perfect Instagram photo.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BssPgipBb7i/

Tourists have taken to posting pictures of themselves dancing or running through flocks of pigeons mid-flight, but how do they manage to get that perfect shot? Some invest in the services of a professional pigeon spooker.

For about 20 baht (95 Australian cents), the spookers manage to startle the pigeons into more photogenic poses, either by waving flags or stamping their feet.

However, the days of pigeon posing may be numbered, with the Telegraph reporting council officials in Chiang Mai are cracking down on spookers as part of a plan to decrease the number of pigeons in the area, which is proving difficult with the spookers and tourists feeding the birds to lure them in.

A fine of 20,000 baht ($962AUD) has been introduced for anyone selling bird feed in the area.

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