Popular Post webfact Posted March 12, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted March 12, 2020 Covid-19: Thousands of people laid off, millions lost in revenue as elephant businesses close in Chiang Mai Picture: Chiang Mai News The coronavirus outbreak is having a devastating effect on elephant parks in Chiang Mai. Most of them have closed their doors and laid off thousands of staff. Those that remain open don't have enough funds to break even. Chaing Mai News went to the Mae Tong elephant park where they spoke with Bantha Chailert. His business - that like all others relied on the Chinese - has been decimated. He used to have 1,000 tourists a day. Now there are 50 Thais or Europeans. Break even would be 400. Picture: Chiang Mai News Elephants need to be fed and staff paid. Reporters found elephants just idling about when normally it would be busy. Just then a tour group came - but it was the first in March. Bantha said that there were 93 elephant parks in Chiang Mai - 85 have closed down. Five thousand staff have been laid off. One thousand elephants are idle. Damage to his business runs into 3-5 million baht and for the industry as a whole it is much worse. Source: Chiang Mai News -- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-03-12 Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post worgeordie Posted March 12, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted March 12, 2020 The upside,....the Elephants will be pleased with a rest. regards Worgeordie 21 3 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Captain_Bob Posted March 12, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted March 12, 2020 No tourists = no money = no food or medical care for elephants. Doubt the elephants will be pleased with that. Another eggs-basket failure. 9 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Changoverandout Posted March 12, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted March 12, 2020 Good, the elephants will have time to heal their bullhook wounds inflicted by the ‘mahoots’ !!! Bastards! 7 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post petedk Posted March 12, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted March 12, 2020 I hope someone takes care of the poor elephants and they don't starve to death. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post rasmus5150 Posted March 12, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted March 12, 2020 93 Elephant camps in CHX ???...???... I really hope that the government agencies that allow this horrible practice, will support the camps so the elephants don't suffer. Hopefully this will stop people from opening more of these macabre spectacles ...... 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post sanemax Posted March 12, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted March 12, 2020 1 minute ago, rasmus5150 said: 93 Elephant camps in CHX ???...???... I really hope that the government agencies that allow this horrible practice, will support the camps so the elephants don't suffer. Hopefully this will stop people from opening more of these macabre spectacles ...... What is "horrible" about these camps ? They are ex logging elephants who would have been killed if the parks didnt exist 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post graemeaylward Posted March 12, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted March 12, 2020 2 hours ago, webfact said: Reporters found elephants just idling about I wonder how elephants "idle about"! I have visions of them still in their pyjamas and slippers at midday, casually thumbing through a copy of the Financial Times, or sitting in deck chairs with knotted handkerchiefs on their heads supping a pint of Tennents Extra Strong beer! Some may even be playing Candy Crush on their mobiles! 2 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orang37 Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 2 hours ago, webfact said: Bantha said that there were 93 elephant parks in Chiang Mai - 85 have closed down. Five thousand staff have been laid off. One thousand elephants are idle. Elevephanting numbers ! ~o:37; Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frequentatore Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 1 hour ago, Changoverandout said: Good, the elephants will have time to heal their bullhook wounds inflicted by the ‘mahoots’ !!! Bastards! Exactly. I've seen during a ride in Ayutthaya an elephant being hit on the head and bleeding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post legend49 Posted March 12, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted March 12, 2020 Bantha said that there were 93 elephant parks in Chiang Mai - 85 have closed down. Five thousand staff have been laid off. That is total BS. No way 93 elephant parks in CM. He should be charged with fake news. This is what Google will give you 9 sanctuaries and this list Hug Elephant Sanctuary Chiang Mai Elephant Sanctuary & Trekking Kanta Elephant Sanctuary Elephant Rescue Park Maerim Elephant Sanctuary Elephant Valley (Chiang Rai) Patara Elephant Farm Elephant Nature Park Thai Elephant Home 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyezhov Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 Well then its time for the bunny huggers and peta and all the enviro wwf chatterers to step up, buy these elephants and end the business of elephant riding. Probably could put them all out of biz and have the elephants moved to refuges for what, $5 million US? Pocket change. What are we waiting for. Probably the elephants will starve first. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricTh Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 This goes to show how much Thailand depends on Chinese tourists. Even the 50 Thai or European tourists cannot match their numbers. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanuckThai Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 Thailand will now have 1.01% unemployment. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post losername Posted March 12, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted March 12, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, sanemax said: What is "horrible" about these camps ? They are ex logging elephants who would have been killed if the parks didnt exist Logging was banned in 1989. That means that any ex-logging elephant must have been mature and trained at that time. Now, they would be maybe 40+ years old. From what I have seen there are a few older elephants but many appear considerably younger than that. Horrible? Yes. Where is the dignity in seeing these fine animals painting, playing football or polo and other entirely unnatural activities? I would suggest that the elephant parks are the least bad offenders. I hate to see the real babies being dragged around entertainment areas, being subjected to bright flashing lights in their faces, horrendous loud music, sharp jabs to make them "ask" for food and the dangers of heavy night-time traffic. Some have no safety lights. Their "mahouts", likewise, are too young to have ever seen a logging camp. Edited March 12, 2020 by losername Added a ? 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
losername Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephants_in_Thailand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post NCC1701A Posted March 12, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted March 12, 2020 i would take one of those elephants to my house and it could live in my yard. plenty to eat. but i am sure there is some law that says you can only torture elephants. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon43 Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 That is total BS. No way 93 elephant parks in CM. He should be charged with fake news. This is what Google will give you 9 sanctuaries and this list Hug Elephant Sanctuary Chiang Mai Elephant Sanctuary & Trekking Kanta Elephant Sanctuary Elephant Rescue Park Maerim Elephant Sanctuary Elephant Valley (Chiang Rai) Patara Elephant Farm Elephant Nature Park Thai Elephant Home Nope, that's 9 LEGAL elephant parks, and 84 illegal ones... ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post 4MyEgo Posted March 12, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted March 12, 2020 I hope the elephants survive after his businesses eventually fail and become irrelephant. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vacuum Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 2 hours ago, petedk said: I hope someone takes care of the poor elephants and they don't starve to death. O course there will someone to take care of the animals. The article said: " millions lost in revenue" and this only in a month or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marko kok prong Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 Yes i fear for the wellbeing of the Elephants,could they not turn them loose in the jungle,but i suppose they are too domesticated to survive,sad for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeCross Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 this doesn't make sense. didn't they say that tourist arrivals only down 25% ? so how can his business be down 95% ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magenta408 Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 I fear that many elephants will be euthanized. If you cannot afford to feed them, what choice is there? Adopt an elephant. Call the WWF and Greta Toonloony! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DannyCarlton Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 1 hour ago, losername said: Logging was banned in 1989. That means that any ex-logging elephant must have been mature and trained at that time. Now, they would be maybe 40+ years old. From what I have seen there are a few older elephants but many appear considerably younger than that. Horrible? Yes. Where is the dignity in seeing these fine animals painting, playing football or polo and other entirely unnatural activities? I would suggest that the elephant parks are the least bad offenders. I hate to see the real babies being dragged around entertainment areas, being subjected to bright flashing lights in their faces, horrendous loud music, sharp jabs to make them "ask" for food and the dangers of heavy night-time traffic. Some have no safety lights. Their "mahouts", likewise, are too young to have ever seen a logging camp. I have seen elephants used in logging activities close to Pattaya, 3 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
losername Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 4 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said: I have seen elephants used in logging activities close to Pattaya, 3 years ago. That's interesting. I would have liked to see them doing the work they had done for centuries. I guess there might have been some kind of special licence issued on that occasion. Several sources confirm 1989 as being the year for logging being banned. Lots of good information in Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephants_in_Thailand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonlover Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 2 hours ago, legend49 said: Bantha said that there were 93 elephant parks in Chiang Mai - 85 have closed down. Five thousand staff have been laid off. That is total BS. No way 93 elephant parks in CM. He should be charged with fake news. This is what Google will give you 9 sanctuaries and this list Hug Elephant Sanctuary Chiang Mai Elephant Sanctuary & Trekking Kanta Elephant Sanctuary Elephant Rescue Park Maerim Elephant Sanctuary Elephant Valley (Chiang Rai) Patara Elephant Farm Elephant Nature Park Thai Elephant Home Nine elephant parks have laid off 5,000 employees? I don't think so. That's over 500 per park! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post hotchilli Posted March 12, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted March 12, 2020 3 hours ago, sanemax said: They are ex logging elephants who would have been killed if the parks didnt exist Logging was banned about 30 years ago... these are captive bred for the tourist trade only! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mngmn Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 1 hour ago, NCC1701A said: i would take one of those elephants to my house and it could live in my yard. plenty to eat. but i am sure there is some law that says you can only torture elephants. Wrong! Elephant torturer is a protected occupation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJRS1301 Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 2 hours ago, frequentatore said: Exactly. I've seen during a ride in Ayutthaya an elephant being hit on the head and bleeding. So you were on the ride? Encouraging the abuse if yu were, if not I apolgise in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJRS1301 Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 1 hour ago, GeorgeCross said: this doesn't make sense. didn't they say that tourist arrivals only down 25% ? so how can his business be down 95% ? Perhaps in combination with the drive to encourage people not to attend these parks due to alledged cruel practices. I would suggest numbers have been dropping for some time hopefully Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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