Throughout history, elephants have held a revered place in the country's way of life and traditional beliefs, and have become symbolic of Thailand. Through their strength and intelligence for various purposes, including warfare, transport and supporting heavy labour, they have contributed significantly to the country.
Elephants were historically employed as beasts of burden to transport heavy timber from the forest, primarily due to their remarkable ability to navigate through dense jungles where even modern machinery faced limitations.
However, in response to concerns over deforestation, the government banned logging in 1989. This move marked a signification transformation for elephants, as they were introduced as entertainers to the tourism and entertainment business.
According to 2021 research by the World Animal Protection (WAP) organisation, Thailand has 4,000 elephants in captivity in conventional and commercialised elephant camps, with the numbers increasing due to breeding.
To be elephant-friendly
The majority of elephants living in captivity in the camps are used for entertainment purposes and suffer mental and physical torment and exploitation, says the WAP. Living under poor welfare conditions, the jumbos have limited space, minimal interaction with their herd, and inadequate nutrition.
"Just like humans, they're born to be part of a social society. They have their own society as well. But in order to take one elephant to train in the camps, they need to be separated from their herd," said Hatai Limprayoonyong, a campaign manager for wildlife at the WAP, Thailand.
Many elephant camps face financial struggles, leading to a lack of proper care. The common solution for the absence of tourists is sending rented elephants back to their local owners and bringing them back when tourists return, she told the Bangkok Post.
"The whole cycle treats elephants like a product but actually, elephants are a part of the wildlife," said Ms Hatai, emphasising the need to treat elephants with respect and not be used for our entertainment.
The organisation advocates for a shift to more elephant-friendly venues. According to the WAP's elephant-friendly guidelines, elephants are to remain in a natural state without experiencing activities such as riding and bathing, as these can be harmful to tourists and also stressful for the elephants.
"We are not experts with elephants. If we bathe them and they do something, but we mistake them for being happy and continue, it will be dangerous for the tourists," she said.
World Animal Protection members campaign at parliament to stop cruelty against elephants.
In 2017, the WAP presented a business case to support around 15 local elephant camps in transitioning to elephant-friendly venues. One successful case of a transition is Chang Chill in Chiang Mai, which received financial and guidance support.
"Transformation is no one-night miracle -- it took six months for the organisation to restructure the infrastructure with standards that are elephant-friendly,'' she said.
Now at Chang Chill, visitors are only allowed to observe elephants from a safe distance. Stressful activities for elephants such as riding, bathing, and direct interaction have been banned for the safety and well-being of both elephants and humans.
Cruel practices such as training and breeding are strictly prohibited, according to the guidelines that prevent the number of captivated elephants from increasing.
Exploiting the law
In early 2022, the WAP drafted a bill with the support of other non-governmental organisations (NGOs), government staff, and various others.
The aim was to trigger the prohibition of capturing elephants, using cruel training methods, and the termination of commercial breeding.
"But unfortunately, early this year, parliament was dissolved. So our next mission is to work with the new government to be able to implement or advocate for this bill, which we believe will revolutionise the welfare and standard of elephants held in captivity in Thailand," said Ms Hatai.
According to Thai law, elephants are categorised as either wild or domesticated.
The latter falls under the Beast of Burden Act, permitting private ownership and creating loopholes that expose captive elephants to domestic violence. Exportation is considered one of the loopholes, occurring for various reasons, including claims of educational purposes and as diplomatic gifts to promote bilateral relations, she said.
Ms Hatai said exploitation exists throughout the process of exportation. Before the sourcing stage, the captivate elephants undergo brutal training, which forces them to perform against their natural behaviour.
Throughout the export process, many elephants are at high risk of losing their life. For those who survive, the lack of government monitoring creates a concerning situation, as the condition of the elephants generally remains unknown. Therefore, the responsibility of tracking and ensuring the well-being of these elephants often falls on NGOs, she said.
Call to action
The WAP is advocating for an end to commercial elephant breeding to reduce the industry's elephant population. Moreover, the organisation aims to enable processes of improving the welfare of captive elephants at the venues they are held, she said.
She added that knowledge sharing about the cruel practices that go on in commercial venues is to be promoted to prevent misconceptions about elephants' intelligence and forced performances.
"We believe elephants belong in the wild," Ms Hatai added. "All the elephants that are currently being held captive -- we want them to be the last generation that are, so that the captivity cycle ends."