A lone man seen in a video approaching a wild elephant while carrying a knife in his hand in Khao Yai National Park has been identified and will face charges, the park chief said on Wednesday.
Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) director-general, Atthapol Charoenchansa, said on Wednesday the man in the video was believed to be a Thai soldier, an army private first class aged about 30.
He had a history of being treated for mental illness.
The incident was shown in a video shared on social media by the Facebook page Where is the Elephant? on Tuesday.
A lone man wearing a black jacket, his face covered, a knife in his left hand and a guitar slung across his back is seen walking straight towards a wild male elephant.
His right hand is raised high in an "OK" gesture - thumb and index finger touching in a circle and the other fingers of the hand outstretched. The man apparently wants to touch the jumbo, but it steps back from him.
"You were lucky that you survived with the 'OK' sign, but next time you might not have the chance to raise your hand," the poster wrote on the page.
The incident occurred at Thung Khao Kheow in tambon Hin Tang of Muang district in Nakhon Nayok province. The area is part of Khao Yai National Park, park director Chaiya Huaihongthong said earlier on Wednesday.
He said the man had breached the conditions set for visitors by the National Park Acts in carrying a weapon into the national park and in disobeying officials’ directions.
Mr Chaiya said the man had been identified and he would face charges.
He said all tourists are warned not to approach wild elephants because if they feel threatened the animals could respond by immediately attacking them.
Mr Atthapol said the man was believed to be hiding in the park area, seen in surveillance camera footage using a motorcycle to move around.
A search was underway. Park rangers had been positioned around the area where he was believed hiding.