CHANG MAI -Residents in Chiang Mai city recently noticed a gaggle of geese roaming freely in the moat near the city’s western gate. Locals and tourists alike were surprised to see ten geese foraging around, with a simple bamboo enclosure set up along the moat’s edge.
At first, no one seemed to know who brought the geese there. The sight quickly became a talking point online, with many people raising concerns about whether this new addition was appropriate.
Former mayoral candidate Teerawuth Kaewfong posted photos and comments about the geese on Facebook. In his post, he encouraged people to take a break from stressful news about city budgets and enjoy this unusual scene.
He shared that people in the area didn’t know who owned the geese, but one person guessed the city council might be behind it because the water in the moat was quite dirty and green.
The speculation was that the geese could help clean up the water, although some doubted if that was true. He called for an investigation and suggested the geese should be moved if a private owner was involved.
If a government agency placed the birds there, many agreed that someone should explain the reason more clearly. Social media reactions flooded in, with most commenters critical of the situation and questioning both ownership and suitability.
On the day journalists visited, the group of ten white geese could be seen swimming in the moat and walking along the bank. People passing by, including many tourists, stopped to take photos. A street vendor nearby said he had only just noticed the geese and the enclosure.
He did not know who put them there or why, but he admitted the geese made the area look different. So far, the birds had not caused any bad smells, dirt, or problems for traffic. Over the long term, the vendor was unsure what might happen.
Later, the Chiang Mai municipality’s sanitation team confirmed the geese belonged to them. They shared that the birds were part of a one-week trial to help reduce duckweed and other water plants, aiming to improve water quality in the moat.
The city will monitor the results before deciding on the next steps.
