Elephants in Bkk

[wilko]

Last August, the governor of Bkk was reported as intending to clear the street elephants from Bkk...

"SukhumbhandParibatra" Governor of Bkk; If street elephants remain in Bangkok after next summer, the Governor promised, "then I'll personally ride them out of Bangkok myself." …

....so is the governor serious about this?
apparently there are still elephants in Bkk
Is he getting ready to ride a few elephants?
i wonder where he's going to ride them?

[wilko]

Can anyone explain this message?

[modsquad]

For what it’s worth this story appeared on 23-07-2010

You will be fined up to 10,000 baht if you feed the elephants in Bangkok", the plan couldn't be clearer. We must starve these bothersome creatures out!

The logic is obvious; stop feeding them and they will go away. Like ants. Only huger. Actually I wonder if there's a spray we can use to get rid of them like Baygon. Maybe they sell it at Villa?

Also, it's a great idea to fine people for feeding elephants. Especially children, like in the advertisement. Kids are always encouraging more elephants into the city with their candies and smiles!

Further information on the advert indicates that if we should "find a wandering elephant, call 1555". It's good that they have a special hotline for this widespread problem, but what if one were to stumble across a whole herd of aimless 'phants? What should we do then? What if they should spilt up and try to lose us using their superior elephant memory to confuse us in Bangkok's maze of sois? Would the hotline help us then?

What's also interesting is that this Elephant Smile scheme is part of Bangkok's Together We Can plan. Presumably, together we can drive these nomadic beasts from the city, or something like that?

Hang on, I have an idea that could help! Maybe if we printed maps of Thailand and handed them to the 'phants then they wouldn't need to wander about. They would then have clear directions and could head to precise locations like the zoo or the circus or something. Then they wouldn't be ``wandering elephants''; they would be ``travelling elephants'', kind of like gypsies.

There is also a secondary plan in action. The mahouts that ride on the backs of Thailand's national animal are to be imprisoned or fined too. The large text written across the top of the advert clearly states: "Real Seizures, Real Fines". This is a excellent idea from the BMA as previously the only solution was to hand out "Fake Seizures and Fake Fines". At least that's how
I understand it. Making the punishments ``real'' should go a long way in combatting this problem.

Wait a minute. I think I may have misunderstood the point of this campaign. There I was thinking that it was the plague of wandering elephants that was the problem.

Now I see that the real problem is the mahouts that force 'phants to walk around Bangkok's traffic-congested streets, begging for food and money, all the while being beaten with a blunt hook.

If this is in fact the case then why isn't the campaign called "`Elephant Smile'. Finding new ways for mahouts to earn a living while providing a safe, natural environment for elephants to live peacefully in the wild"?G From the Ronin 'Phants article by Arglit Boonyai

[wilko]

THe article I'm referring to is a year ago. August 2009.......
not this later, apparently a panic measure - presumably because the governor doesn't know how to or doesn't want to ride a herd of elephants.

[GenetheMachine]

A big problem is the elephants getting hit by cars or trucks. The mahouts then abandon the wounded elephant and it becomes someone else's problem. The city is no place for an elephant. The mahouts also starve the elephant and sell food to the tourists to feed it. How about fining the mahouts? I like the seizure idea. Then send the elephants to someplace safe. Don't fine the tourists. The tourists don't know the local laws.

[wilko]

I don't like to grace these people with the name "mahout" - they RENT the animals off owners who keep the animals in camps outside cities.

So what you have is a chain here - the punters who give these "renters" money. The renters who abuse and drug the animals to make them more docile, and then there are the "bosses" who own the animals and rent them out knowing full well what will happen to them.

It seems to me rather then "riding them out of town" the govt should take possession (compulsory purchase) of these animals, prosecute the OWNERS and relocate the elephants into places that have been verified as suitable and NOT exploitative tourist entertainment centres.

It would seem that the statements and promised actions f the Governor are in fact completely worthless as they don't solve the problem but merely shift it from one place to another.

Of course it may make him feel better and help to make him popular, but I can't see the policy has any substance or merit.

[mkp123]

I personally feel that this is a really bold initiative by the governor of Bangkok. Thailand is a country which gathers a lot of its revenue from tourism and tourists, especially Europeans, will not like elephants roaming the streets begging for food elephants are animals that can be trained like Puppy Training . I think the governor has made the right decision here. Anyone found begging with his elephant should be put behind the bars. These elephants should be kept in government custody and should be provided enough food by the authorities.

[wilko]

Except that is not what is happening is it?

The elephants are being "removed" from Bangkok - they are NOT being taken over by the authorities OR rehoused the OWNERS - not the jokingly mis-named "mahouts" are not being touched by this effort.
The elephants are not completely removed from Bkk or the begging scene at all - and those have gone appear to be shipped to other towns and the Bkk hinterland presumably until they can quietly return when this hair-brain scheme loses steam altogether.