With many of the forests, the elephants natural habitat, cut down, the only real alternative is euthanasia.
Is that what people want? It's not what the mahouts want. Most of the experiences I have had with elephants and their mahouts have been good ones.
The elephants have been in the lower Issan area, predominately Surin, for centuries. The Gui people being the original mahouts.
Maybe it is the humans that should move away from the elephants' territory.
Don't forget to release the buffaloes, dogs, horses and any other animals that might be deemed "domesticated" on the way out.