we are heading to Thailand / Cambodia / Vietnam late Dec & Jan one of the group has asked what about snakes and leeches . are they a problem when walking around doing general sight seeing at temples etc.
He was talking to his baker who came from Cambodia and was told to watch out, Have any of you encounted this problem.
Thanks all

Snakes and leeches are a problem only if you plan to trek in the jungle or swim in the rivers.

Have encountered leeches walking through rain forest in northern Laos, but otherwise have met no snakes or leeches throughout SEA. Has never occurred to me to worry about them....

i would not worry at all

If you are quiet you may see snakes at Angkor - we saw several.

OK, Kathie. Now I may have to settle for Cheryl's great pictures of Angkor!!!

I had read that after a rain to look out for a bright green snake - that is poisionous.

Do you care to elaborate?

We saw a snake or two, I don't think they were poisonious. We just watched. I think there might be a photo in Cheryl's pictures. I remember seeing one at a temple where we were the only visitors - just a few Cambodian children playing outside, and it was very quiet.

I'm guessing you'd be unlikely to see a snake.

Snakes tend to avoid humans so don't worry. Leeches, only if you want to wade through muddy paddy fields or the uncut wilderness. In Cambodia I would look out for land mines instead!

I was just curious to see if you ended up encountering any snakes in Thailand. I'm looking into studying abroad next summer in Bangkok and then traveling to different beaches and perhaps an animal conservatory (or where I can see tigers, elephants, etc), and where I travel to would be greatly affected by where I would be least likely to encounter snakes.
Thanks!

On three trips to Cambodia I've visited a large number of temples, both the usual ones and some off the beaten track. I have not encountered either snakes or leeches. Snakes will avoid humans and there are usually enough people about at even the more isolated temples to discourage them. I experienced a lot of land leeches in northern Laos but none in Cambodia. (The Laotian variety don't hurt, they just suck your blood, a quick spray with salt water will dislodge them.)

Enjoy your trip and don't worry about animals or land mines. The latter should not be a problem if you stick to clearly defined tracks.

Snakes in Thailand are mostly harmless. They can be found quite often in the south of Thailand, but they just sliver away when there is a human in sight. In all my years in Thailand, more than 10, ive never heard of anyone having a problem with snakes!

The above information is wrong. There are several species of venomous land snakes in Thailand and several more sub species and all are deadly. They are found all over Thailand and the more rural the more chances of seeing one. The people that get bitten the most are the farmers and paddy field workers.

Species of venomous snakes found in Thailand:
•King Cobra
•Monocled Cobra
•Spitting Cobra
•Malayan Pit Viper
•Banded Krait
•Coral Snake(coastal area)

In my garden alone I've seen cobras, "burnt" tail pit vipers, pythons and a few non venomous species. Your chances of seeing a venomous snake is very rare but they do exist and are found all over the country NOT just the South!

Here's a more accurate on the venomous snakes in Thailand:

1. งูจงอาง Ngu Jong-ang (King cobra)

2. งูเห่า Ngu Hao (Cobra)

3. งูกะปะ Ngu Ka-pa (The name has no meaning in Thai)

4. งูแมวเซา Ngu Maw-sao (Sleepy cat)

5. งูเขียวหางไหม้ Ngu Kaew-hang-mai (Burn tail green snake)

6. งูสามเหลี่ยม Ngu Sam-leam (Triangle snake)

Again your chances of seeing one is very rare and the chance of being bitten by one is even rarer.

Most snakes are nocturnal, poisonous or not, as their prey is usually nocturnal. Since they are poikilotherms ("cold blooded"), they must rest in the sun during the day to accumulate enough energy to hunt at night. They're often quite torpid during the day, but become more active towards evening.