VIDEO: Elephants brutally beaten at prestigious polo event in Bangkok

[Kimber]

3 hours ago, Henrik Andersen said:

And soi dogs are no 1 important animals in Thailand 

Again and again Thai show they beat and kill all animals and people but no no soi dogs are good 

We have strong animals law b. s. 

 

So much for Thailands national animal being the Elephant. 

Edited March 11, 2018 by Kimber

[Kimber]

1 hour ago, Misterwhisper said:

Aaaah... the majestic national animal so highly revered by the Thais since centuries. So highly revered in fact that it has to be tortured into submission by their so-called handlers as a matter of routine. Make no mistake, it should be openly known that what we've seen in this video (and which oh so enrages the hypocritical Thai public) is an age-old disgusting tradition that is practiced by EVERY mahout.

 

Baby elephants are subjected to what in Thai is called "breaking the spirit". It involves burning the animal and beating it until it bleeds and this treatment continues without pause until the animal immediately complies with each and every of its mahout's commands. And indeed, the thus "trained" adult animal is of broken spirit, living in constant fear of that barbaric "elephant hook" that it has endured since it was a calf. If you have seen one of these close up, you'll understand. It is a torturing device, nothing else.

 

There you have it, another truth never mentioned in glossy TAT brochures.

 

Avoid "elephant camps" and tell all your friends to give them a wide berth as well. It's the best advice I can give. National animal? Every nation that treats their national animal like the Thais treat their elephants deserves every criticism that comes their way and more.

 

And  Anantara's comment that it allegedly "is deeply committed to improving the lives of elephants" and that "the behaviour in the video is wholly contradictory to the purpose, the intentions and the rules that have been implemented for the King's Cup Elephant Polo Tournament over the past 16 years" just rings of sheer cynicism and bigotry.

 

If they really care for these maltreated pachyderms, they should no longer hold that tournament. They solely hold it because it's a great PR vehicle for their hotel brand. It has got nothing at all to do with "improving the lives of elephants," but it's got everything to do with "improving brand awareness among consumers."  Nothing more, nothing less. The slit ears, the multiple scars on the trunk and on top of the head you so often see in older elephants are generally NOT the result of the animals hurting themselves, but they are the tell-tale signs of "training" and "disciplining" meted out by the loving handler with his hook. 

 

I apologize for my wild - but passionate - rambling. But it really had to be said.

 

Well articulated sir.

[Kimber]

58 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

There is a certain big black cat that fell prey to elitists rifles.  He too might have had a prejudice against the well heeled.   The Mahoots are not wealthy, tis true, but it seems where ever there are wealthy people in Thailand, there is disregard, trouble and disappointment.   One would expect more from people who have more.   My problems are with wealthy people who are wealthy because they are wealthy and protected.   Other wealthy people are inspirational.  Few Thai elite can claim such a thing.   

 

As the public record reveals. 

[windas]

I've yet to find a genuine Thai caring Mahout. My wife talks to them in Thai and they don't understand the language. It would appear most, if not all, come from Cambodia as they are cheap to employ. The cruelty to Elephants is everywhere you look. Even at the big establishments.

I have witnessed a baby elephant chained to its mother, being dragged along because it was too tired to walk, at a big well known establishment just outside Pattaya.

[David in the north]

Fired?
They should have had a few hearty smites with a bull hook first!

[Just Weird]

4 hours ago, Odysseus123 said:

Naw..elephants are noble creatures.So are black panthers,by the way.

Noble?   Er, no, they're not.  They are big, though. 

 

Black panthers aren't noble, either.

[Just Weird]

3 hours ago, johng said:

Off course it would be very much better if the elephants had enough natural habitat..and be left alone,but some buggers keep cutting it all down and building another shopping mall.

 

Where has a shopping mall replaced natural elephant environments?

[johng]

Where has a shopping mall replaced natural elephant environments?

Thailand ?

[ratcatcher]

28 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

Noble?   Er, no, they're not.  They are big, though. 

 

Black panthers aren't noble, either.

Would you settle for magnificent or perhaps majestic in some ways?

[tukkytuktuk]

Quote

ELEPHANTS AND MAHOUTS TRADITIONS IN THAILAND

The mahout (or in Thai ‘Kwarn Chang’) is the person who drives an elephant. There are three kinds of mahouts, distinguished by the way they control the animal: A ‘Reghawan’ uses love, a ‘Yukthiman’ uses ingenuity to outsmart them, and a ‘Balwan’ controls an elephant with discipline. The latter practice, however, is less accepted and much more uncommon today. Essential to becoming a successful mahout are qualities like stamina, patience, perseverance, responsibility and common sense in order to handle an unforeseen crisis.

 

http://www.anantaraelephantpolo.com/helping-elephants/benefits-of-elephant-polo.html

 

[tukkytuktuk]

 

[The manic]

4 hours ago, Cabradelmar said:

It's a shame elephant are used as polo animals. Just as it is a shame they are used in circuses and other entertainment ventures worldwide.

Kumbyah 

[tifino]

 

 

elephants have their own karma game....

 

 

it is called Romper Stomper

[tukkytuktuk]

 

 

[johng]

Surin and Cambodia are very close.

[Thingamabob]

Disgusting. I hope the organizers of this appalling event will rot in hell.

[InMyShadow]

 

 

Happens everywhere.

[Thongkorn]

13 minutes ago, InMyShadow said:

 

 

Happens everywhere.

So it’s ok then .is it ok to bear children within an inch of their lives for not understanding. Too

[InMyShadow]

1 minute ago, Thongkorn said:

So it’s ok then .is it ok to bear children within an inch of their lives for not understanding. Too

[Thongkorn]

Just now, InMyShadow said:

People who hurt animals usually move on to humans always people who cannot hit back.

[thaiguzzi]

1 hour ago, tukkytuktuk said:

 

 

Absolutely sickening footage 2.0...

[tukkytuktuk]

 

[The manic]

4 hours ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

You see what the locals are really like in this video.

 

 

I didn't see any mass shootings of students as practised by American locals. Or are you just making a, racist generalisation. 

[The manic]

16 minutes ago, tukkytuktuk said:

 

It's called training as horses are trained and dogs are trained.  PETRA is an extremist pressure group exploiting sentimental people and anthropomorphism. The crowd who want to ban honey because it exploits bees!  They are sickening because they value animals over humans and only use negative imagery.  They are predominantly white, wealthy middle class westeners imposing their form of cultural imperialism on poorer,  usually darker minorities. They make me sick. 

 

Edited March 11, 2018 by The manic

[dcychan]

Anantara should stop this Polo tournament.
They thought its doing good for the elephants
They consider this a charity for the jumbos instead they become victims of abuse !!!
Anantara please stop.this circus and come up with a real Polo tourament with horses not jumbos.

Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Thian]

5 hours ago, windas said:

I've yet to find a genuine Thai caring Mahout. My wife talks to them in Thai and they don't understand the language. It would appear most, if not all, come from Cambodia as they are cheap to employ. The cruelty to Elephants is everywhere you look. Even at the big establishments.

I have witnessed a baby elephant chained to its mother, being dragged along because it was too tired to walk, at a big well known establishment just outside Pattaya.

I guess that's the same place where they have tigers on a 70 cm steel chain so you can make a selfie with them to show all your friends on fayboo.

[tukkytuktuk]

 

[jak2002003]

2 hours ago, The manic said:

It's called training as horses are trained and dogs are trained.  PETRA is an extremist pressure group exploiting sentimental people and anthropomorphism. The crowd who want to ban honey because it exploits bees!  They are sickening because they value animals over humans and only use negative imagery.  They are predominantly white, wealthy middle class westeners imposing their form of cultural imperialism on poorer,  usually darker minorities. They make me sick. 

 

You would train your dog or horse like in the first video?!

 

I can tell you I don't know anyone who would train a dog or horse by starving it, cutting it, sticking hooks into it and breaking it's bones.  A percentage of elephants trained in that way always die!!!  When did you hear of a dog trainer killing one out of every 10 dogs at their training lesion?

 

 

[tukkytuktuk]

 

Baby elephants are taken from their mothers, tied down, and beaten so severely that they bleed and scream, all in order to force them to perform ridiculous tricks for tourists.

 

The original video.

[jak2002003]

11 hours ago, Trentham said:

I note your use of the word "ashamed".

If one looks in an English-Thai dictionary for the meaning of guilt one will find two Thai words, kwam pit – ความผิด - meaning a wrong and kwam rooserk  pit – ความรู้สึกผิด -  translating as the feeling of having done wrong but in essence meaning the knowledge of having done wrong. My teacher devoted almost half of one lesson trying to answer my questions about the word for the feeling of guilt a Westerner and probably most other races feels when having done something sinful, immoral or criminal. Neither of those two words is adequate to describe that guilty feeling. Finally she gave up and admitted to me that Thai people don’t really feel guilt. What they feel is shame. My teacher had a good understanding of Western cultures and I was left with the feeling that she was embarrassed by her admission.

 

She then went on to explain that Thais can do bad things and do not feel anything for having done them. However, when other people know about what they have done they feel shame. If you look in the dictionary you will find there are many words that equate to the English word, shame. Note I don’t want Thai professors and other pedantic types debating me on this interpretation of guilt. I have since discussed this point with normal Thai speakers and they basically agree with me. Thais mostly only feel bad about doing bad things when others know they have done them. This is due to loss of “face”.

Your post simply comes across as ignorant and racist.

 

You don't think farangs can do bad 'sinful' things not feel anything for having done them?  

 

And the religions ones just go to confession or pray and get forgiven and can forget about it.

 

And when these farangs are discovered they also may be ashamed and violent.  

 

I will respect your request not to bother to explain the Thai language for the meaning you want.  And maybe your Thai teacher was fed up of your obviously raciest questioning and just gave up and told you what you wanted to hear so she could move on with the lesson! Just like you said 'she gave up' on the argument as you were not convinced.