PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN: Prathueang Numnoi, 69, was shocked to find at least six prime, 12-year-old durian trees in her orchard in Hua Hin district had been knocked down and the fruit stolen when she arrived to water them on Monday morning.
She knew immediately the culprits were a herd of aggressive wild elephants. The same ones that had previously raided her durian orchard of more than 200 trees on several nights this year. The worst had been in May. This time it was almost as bad.
“Some of these ruined trees had two- or three-month-old fruit on them, which at this time of year are worth 180 to 200 baht a kilogramme," she said. "When I saw my orchard in this state I almost fainted away.”
In May, the night-marauders uprooted 21 10-year-old durian trees. This had greatly upset Mrs Prathueang and her husband. They had planned to rely on income from selling the durian when those trees were old enough to produce fruit, she said.
Her plea now is for state officials to step in and help the people deal effectively with the wild elephants.
She insisted that her orchard in Ban Pa La-u of tambon Huay Sat Ya is not in a forest area previously the habitat of those elephants. The land was granted to her by His Majesty the late King Rama IX in 1977.
Manu Thongyaem, kamnan of tambon Huay Sat Yai, said the threat from elephants was getting worse in the Ban Pa La-u area, with raids now being reported almost everynight.
Some orchards suffered only slightly, but others sustained serious damage, he said.
The villagers now take turns guarding their orchards and other property at night against the elephants' depredations.
On Saturday, a car owned by Suwit Boonchauy was attacked and severely damaged. It was now undrivable.
His wife, Chanthara Chumphon, said no one had subsequently offered any form of assistance at all.
Some government officials came, took some pictures of the damaged car and left, she said. That was all.
Suwit Boonchauy stands beside his severely damaged car, attacked by wild elephants in Hua Hin district, Prachuap Khriri Khan. (Photo by Chaiwat Satyaem)