Elephant culture has always been a huge part of the broader Thai culture. Elephants and their predecessors have lived on the territory of Thailand for over 15 million years, long before humans even came to Southeast Asia. And, since then, elephants and people have lived and worked side by side for thousands of years.

The relationship between Thai elephants and the Thai people has been tumultuous at times, too, however, and is especially strained nowadays, with the populations of both wild and domesticated Thai elephants at significant risk.

So, let’s examine what exactly the role of elephants is in Thai culture and how proper conservation can help both elephants and people.

Elephant Culture And History In Thailand

Thai elephants are called Chang Thai (ช้างไทย) in Thailand. They are venerated as sacred animals in the country, especially inThailand’s predominantly Buddhist culture.

The earliest written mention of people and elephants working together in Thailand dates back to 1292 AD. It is a stone-carved inscription of King Ramkhamhaeng the Great of Sukhothai.

The inscription describes King Ramkhamhaeng in battle with his rival, Chief Khun Sam Chon. In that battle, King Ramkhamhaeng’s elephant, Bekhpon, attacked the king’s enemies and defended him.

1292 AD may not sound that long ago from a historical point of view, but we know elephants have been used as both war and pet animals all throughout South Asia for far longer than that, and Thailand is no exception.

Thai people have used elephants in much the same way Western people have used horses and other domesticated animals – for transport, for heavy labor, as well as for war.

According to the Wild Elephant Protection Act of 1921 signed by King Vajiravudh (Rama VI), all wild elephants in Thailand were to be considered the property of the Thai government. Since then, even domestic elephants with certain unique features were also to be given to the king.

A prime example of that are white elephants, as they are considered a huge hold symbolic importance and are considered sacred in Thai culture, because they represent good fortune, power and prosperity.

Note that white elephants aren’t albino elephants, but actually have a unique pinkish-grey color.

Elephant Culture In Modern-day Thailand

While elephants continue to be the national emblem of Thailand, they are in a rather dire straits as of the end of the 20th and the start of the 21st century. According to most records, there used to be over 100,000 captive elephants in Thailand in the early 20th century and an even greater number of wild elephants.

Yet, as of writing this, there are an estimated 3,500 to 4,000 domestic elephants and between 3,000 and 3,500 wild elephants in Thailand today.

In fact, elephants have been considered an endangered species in Thailand since 1986, despite still being the country’s national animal.

The reason for this major drop isn’t due to poaching either, not entirely at least. Instead, the major factor in the decline of Chang Thai is deforestation.

With Thailand cutting down much of their natural forests throughout the 20th century (from around 27,360,000 hectares to just 12,900,000 hectares), this not only eliminated more than half of the habitat of wild elephants.

It also pushed a lot of them into contact with human cities, towns, villages, and farms, which has led to the deaths of untold numbers of wild animals.

Even though Thailand officially banned logging in 1989 to protect its forests, elephant conservation has still been difficult. In fact, the ban of logging itself – while it helped protect the natural habitat of wild elephants – complicated the lives of domestic elephants, as they were mostly employed in the logging industry.

So, many of the mahouts (owners, caretakers) of domestic elephants in Thailand had to figure out what to do with their animals, now that they couldn’t use them for logging work anymore.

That’s how the culture of elephant tourism was born in Thailand. Yet, it too presented its own challenges, as many elephant tourist attractions have turned out to be rather unethical and harmful to the Chang Thai too.

So, the past few decades have seen the slow advancement and development of elephant conservation and ethical elephant culture and tourism in Thailand.

Modern Conservation’s Impact On Elephants In Thailand

Nowadays, elephant culture and conservation takes several forms in Thailand. On the one hand, both the Thai government and various conservation organizations are trying to limit illegal logging and elephant poaching, to minimize the loss of even more wild Chang Thai.

On the other hand, efforts are being taken to slowly reintroduce captive elephants back into the wild. This is key not just to increase the number of wild elephants, but also because there are just many captive elephants that can’t be put to work.

This is also tricky, however, as reintroducing a domestic animal back into the wild is a time-consuming and difficult process.

Another huge aspect of modern elephant conservation efforts, however, is the treatment of captive elephants. The elephant tourism industry has given domestic Thai elephants a new purpose ever since the ban of logging, but it has hardly been “good” for these animals.

Many elephant tourist attractions are actively harmful to the animals they employ, from elephant riding or repeated elephant bathing, to teaching elephants to perform tricks for tourists.

All such attractions can appear harmless at first, but are done through tough and painful training techniques often referred to as “the crush” by animal protection organizations.

So, in addition to protecting wild elephants, much of elephant conservation efforts today are focused on improving the lives of captive elephants and changing the way the tourism industry in Thailand treats them.

Krabi Roaming Elephant Sanctuary’s Role In Elephant Conservation

At the Krabi Roaming Elephant Sanctuary (ROM, for short), the main focus is on promoting an ethical elephant culture and tourism practices. ROM focuses on a largely hands-off approach to elephant tourism.

Instead of harmful activities, such as training elephants to perform tricks or to tolerate being ridden or bathed by strangers, at ROM, tourists can engage in elephant observation and education, on learning how to make natural elephant snacks and feeding the elephants at the sanctuary through their trunks only, and more.

For the tourists themselves, this means getting to see elephants roam freely in their environment and behave naturally, as they would in the forests of Thailand. And, for the animals, this means allowing them to live free, healthy, and happy lives.

Book Your Experience @Krabi Roaming Elephant Sanctuary

Krabi Roaming Elephant Sanctuary offers a rare chance to witness elephants in their most natural and peaceful state. Whether you choose the Half-Day Highlights Program or the Mini Moments Experience, your visit will be a memorable and meaningful one.

Limited spots are available to maintain a calm and respectful environment for the elephants, so be sure to book in advance:

• Phone: (+66) 080-082-6621
• Email: reservation@k-roaming.com
• Book directly at krabi-roamingelephantsanctuary.co/

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