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This column is for self-study or classroom use and gives guided help with reading the wide variety of writing styles and topics that appear as feature articles in the Bangkok Post. The lessons include background information, skill-building practice and vocabulary explanations. July 4, 2006 Mahouts out and about INTRODUCTION

IThis story focuses on Chiang Rai, but it could easily be set in Bangkok from what I have seen. On my way home from work, it is not unusual for me to see mahouts and their cute baby elephants walking down Soi Ekamai, where I live. They are on their way to more crowded areas, where they spend much of the night seeking customers to feed the elephants. It doesn't look like much fun, certainly not for the baby elephants, but the mahouts will tell you they have no choice - just like the mahout quoted in the article. Read to find out what he has to say. Read also to find out how the animated film Khan Kluay has affected his life. //sub// Teacher's notes Today's lesson should be good for secondary students up. If you haven't already done a unit on elephants in Thailand with your class, this story might be a good start. It gives you some brief insights into an emotional issue and it should raise a number of questions that your students can then pursue. The story is particularly good because it deals with baby elephants, which everyone agrees are cute. Anyone can see that a street environment is not appropriate for these elephants, but they are so cute that it is almost impossible to resist buying the bananas or sugarcane their mahouts are selling and then feeding the animals. First, have the students read the story. Then have them ask each other questions, such as: Why are there so many elephants in towns and cities nowadays? Encourage students to think up more questions.

OUR STORY FROM THE BANGKOK POST Mahouts exploit animated film TEERAWAT KHAMTHITA Elephants watch the screening of the animated film 'Kan Kluay' in Ayutthaya province. The movie tells the story of a young wild elephant, which becomes the war elephant of a Thai king fighting against Burmese invaders during the Ayutthaya era. — TAWATCHAI KEMGUMNERD Chiang Rai — The craze for the animated film Khan Kluay, about the adventures of a young elephant searching for his father, has led to mahouts bringing more baby elephants onto the streets of Chiang Rai province, where they beg for food and money. The number of young elephants, aged three or four, wandering in the business districts of Nakhon Chiang Rai municipality has reportedly increased since Thailand's first 3D animation film was released last month. Most of the roaming elephants are from the northeastern province of Surin. The 150-million-baht film has won the hearts of many Thai viewers who followed the journey of Khan Kluay, a young elephant whose pursuit of his father separates him from his herd, and leads to him being adopted by a kind-hearted elephant trainer. Upon learning that his father is a battle elephant residing in the king's palace, Khan Kluay is determined to become a warrior elephant himself, in order to meet his father. Aek, a 25-year-old mahout, said a severe drought in Surin and the Khan Kluay film fever drove him and many fellow mahouts to bring baby elephants to Chiang Rai as "selling points", to draw people to buy food to feed the young animals. He said baby elephants help him earn more money than grown ones, especially with the current Khan Kluay craze. The mahouts could earn 300 to 400 baht a day - and the baby elephants have full stomachs, said Mr Aek. Although the mahouts risk a crackdown by the police, or their elephants being hit by cars, they have no choice as they have to make a living, he said. "My fellow mahouts and I always worry about what will happen to us and our elephants after the Khan Kluay film craze is over." mahouts people who work with, ride and care for elephants exploit to take advantage of something, often in a bad way craze something that is popular for a short time animated film cartoon film roaming traveling around with no particular destination or purpose pursuit a search herd a group of animals who live together adopt to take a child or animal as your own residing living in a place severe great; intense. Usually with a negative sense drought a long period with too little rain crackdown strong official action taken to punish people who break laws fellow people who are in the same situation Read our other instant lesson here. Return to our home page. | © The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. All rights reserved 2006 | Last modified: July 3, 2006