Thailand Elephants
Thailand Elephants
Thailand Elephants have been part of Thai culture for hundreds of years. They have been used for transport through the rugged terrain of Thailand’s plains and mountain ranges carrying goods and people to their destinations. Today Elephant’s have been used in the tree logging industry for a long time but modern vehicles are taking over this role more and more leaving the elephants to be discarded by many. Tourists can see the elephants displaying their grace, intelligence and power in elephant shows around the country.
My experience Riding an Elephant in Thailand
You can experience the majestic power of an elephants by taking a ride on the back of one of these amazing animals at one of the many tourist locations around the country.
I personally experienced a ride over a hilly track with my wife and family some years back and it was both exhilarating and scary. You are invited generally to ride on a chair across the elephants back but you sometimes can ride on the elephants neck which is where I ended up.
If the chair is not balanced well it tends to swing quite a bit. This is very disconcerting and as I was the heavy one and causing the issue with my wife who was very light and daughter made it quite unbalanced.
Ride an Elephant in Thailand
Riding on Thai elephants is quite a ride as it swings from side to side as the elephant walks along. The swaying is gentle but what becomes concerning is when climbing hills that have damp paths is the elephant slipping on occasion. This is frightening when it happens I have to say. The tracks we went on took us up a steep hill then down the other side.
The elephant enjoys the walk it seems and is constantly grazing on leaves and bannanas when available. The Mahoot guides the elephant with confidence and it was overall a fun experience.
The question is should tourists ride on elephants? Many of the elephants are reported to have spinal issues from moving heavy loads and it may be uncomfortable for them to be carrying tourists.
Thailand Elephant Riding – Tourist Choice
The tourism industry in Thailand has recognized the mood of many tourists with regards to riding Thailand Elephants and many have moved away from the riding experience to swimming experiences where it is safer for everyone and a lot of fun.
Elephants are taken for a walk down to the local watering hole where excited tourists swim and wash the elephants. The tourists are often transported to the swimming spots and enjoy the experience with the muddy and cheeky elephants. The whole experience is a fantastic idea and anything that is good for the elephants the better.
Animal Welfare Perspective
Animal welfare organizations such as the Wildlife Friends Foundation of Thailand (WFFT), which rescues elephants and other animals from the Thailand tourism industry and wildlife trade, rely on paid visitors to fund their work.
Tourists can visit elephant sanctuaries in Thailand and interact with the animals in a responsible and ethical manner by riding elephants on their backs. In the northern hills of Thailand between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, dozens of camps offer the chance to meet and help rescued and working elephants and pay for their care and harmful practices such as elephant rides.
Ethical Thailand Elephant Care
There are a number of ethical refugee areas in the kingdom, such as Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Boon Lotts Elephant Sanctuary, the Sukhothai Wildlife Friends Foundation in Thailand and Tha Mai Ruak.
Elephant Sanctuaries in Thailand offer a great environment where the animals are looked after in the best possible way. Instead of riding elephants many animal rights groups promote visits, volunteering and donations to two Thai elephant sanctuaries.
If you have time you can volunteer at one of the elephant sanctuaries in Thailand where you will see that elephants treated with respect. At the parks they are allowed to live in a safe protected environment.
What do Captive Elephants Do in THAILAND
According to a recent World Animal Protection ( WAP) report, around 2,500 captive elephants are used in Thailand for commercial purposes such as elephant riding and circuses. We see them often at religious celebrations often dressed up for parades in villages and in cities.
Other kinds of work for Thai domesticated elephants are involved in are patrols of the jungle with rangers. In the tourism industry it has been popular for many years giving rides to tourists in many northern resorts, elephant parks in central Thailand, and at local ceremonies in the northeast but as we have already discussed this is becoming less popular with tourists.
Elephant Camps in Thailand
There are about 3,800 elephants in captivity in Thailand, many in camps, zoos and sanctuaries. The COVID-19 crisis forced 85 elephant camps in northern Thailand. The camps had to lay off more than 5,000 workers, and animal rights activists fear that up to 2,500 elephants could starve. The fear is they could be neglected if left in captivity with no workers to look after him. In Thailand, some 3,900 domesticated elephants are being kept in camp after camp, and concerns about animal welfare are growing at a time of prolonged and severe economic hardship.
The Department of Livestock Development, the government agency that monitors elephants captured in Thailand, provided 290 tons of hay for elephant camps in 22 Thai provinces in July 2020, the official veterinarian Sasi Jaroenpoj said.
Kho Samui -Elephant Hill Camp
One of the first ethical sanctuary areas, Koh Samui Samui Elephant Sanctuary, provides a safe haven for elephants that have been overworked and mistreated by deforestation, tourists and trekking camps. Elephant Hill is located in the Khao Sok National Park and houses many elephants that have been rescued from captivity and can now roam freely in the vast jungle area, chained or free. The sanctuary works hard to improve the lives of these elephants and does an excellent job as it has been 100% certified by Global Spirit, an independent animal welfare company based in the UK.
There are elephant camps in Thailand, they are generally located in tourist hot spots such as Chiang Mai and Phuket. The name of the Elephant Paradise in Kanchanaburi is one of only a handful of camps that have made this change in conjunction with the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai.
Elephants Caught in Thailand
More than half of the elephants caught in Thailand are used for tourism and where their living conditions are not suitable. At the beginning of the pandemic, many camps sent elephants back to their mahouts in the Surin region of eastern Thailand. Many elephants are sold by mountain tribes and villages in the north, only to find that the landscape has changed over the years, making it a challenge to keep them safe.
Many people and rural communities in Thailand depend on elephant tourism to provide income for themselves. The animals unfortunately face being abandoned, starved or sold in unregulated zoos and logging companies in neighboring countries. They need to be protected.
Thailand Elephants in Captivity
A two-year study conducted in 2017 by the World Animal Welfare Organization found that the number of elephants in captivity in Thailand has increased by 30% since 2010. In one of the largest known elephant migrations in living memory, an estimated 3,800 captive elephants trek to tourist attractions stretching from the north eastern province of Surin to the coastal cities of Pattaya and Phuket to the mountains of the northern city of Chiang Mai. These cities are the center of Thailand’s captive elephant industry, with many residents involved in the enrolment and training of elephants to tourist camps across the country. Although the use of elephant deforestation was banned in Thailand in 1989, elephants are still pushed into tourism worldwide and forced to accompany tourists on treks through the jungle and perform in front of crowds.
Conclusion
The question of tourism and elephants is complicated and personal for many. Elephants are part of Thailand life for many villages and provide an income. The logging industry has moved away from Elephants to a point but they are still employed doing forestry work. If your passionate about wildlife issues you can volunteer or donate to many of the wildlife funds to help them do more.
If your visiting Thailand and choose to take a ride on an elephant or just go swimming and help give them a wash that’s your choice. Having personally taken a ride on an elephant many years ago I am certainly not taking the high moral ground on this issue. Its your choice what you want to do and how you choose to support Thailand elephants if you choose to do so.
YouTube has quite a few channels with the Mahouts and elephants living today showing their daily lives and what I have seen they are looked after well. I hope you have found the article helpful in planning your trip to Thailand.
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