By Goongnang Suksawat

 

Pattaya – Two American tourists and a mahout have sustained injuries after they fell from an elephant at an elephant village in Pattaya Monday afternoon (September 5th).

Emergency responders were notified of the incident at 2:30 P.M. at an elephant village in Pattaya.

 

They arrived at the scene to find Mrs. Alice C, 71, and Mrs. Virginia S, 85 both American. Their last names were withheld at the request of their privacy. They were found on the ground. Nearby rescue workers found the mahout (elephant trainer) Mr. Chamlueang Oboun, 73. All three had suffered non-life threatening injuries.

 

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2022/09/05/two-american-tourists-and-mahout-injured-after-falling-from-elephant-in-pattaya/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2022-09-06

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

According to the story both elephants were both over 60yrs, the Americans as well as the mahout were over 70, the elephants collided, sorry but I had to smile ???? what a geriatric crew!

Long way down when you're up there

What's with the recent news with names withheld,  privacy etc?  All good perhaps, but used to announce all kinds of details about victims.... including what color undershorts they were wearing!

the driver was 73 yrs old,  two passengers are 71 & 85 yrs old for god sake   !   

might be better if they stick to crochet and bingo next time,  riding animals at 85 can pose certain risks.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

All three had suffered non-life threatening injuries

Good news 

 

American tourists... likely the elephant collapsed under the weight!

There should be compulsory retirement at 65, not just for chang drivers, but bus/coach drivers and ALL politicians!

Imagine, at 85, getting back to the retirement village and being asked

"How did you break your hip?"

"Fell off an elephant!"

 

Bit more exciting than the usual "fell out of bed"

 

Hope they all recover well, and good on the ladies for being so adventurous.

 

 

 

I'm sure the Elephant ride company will have adequate insurance to cover the hospital stay........

1 hour ago, Jerno said:

What's with the recent news with names withheld,  privacy etc?  All good perhaps, but used to announce all kinds of details about victims.... including what color undershorts they were wearing!

Had it been obvious what colour undershorts they'd been wearing, they probably would have been charged with indecency!

Let me see: sudden U-turn and no helmets

1 hour ago, Patong2 said:

 

 

Hope they all recover well, and good on the ladies for being so adventurous.

 

 

 

Foolish would be a better description ????

5 minutes ago, petermik said:

Foolish would be a better description ????

Age is merely a number.  I'm 80 in 3 weeks and I'd put money on my beating you at table tennis or you being unable to keep up with me in the gym.

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

American tourists... likely the elephant collapsed under the weight!

No option for 5 stars so I'll just click on the heart.

2 hours ago, Moti24 said:

Had it been obvious what colour undershorts they'd been wearing, they probably would have been charged with indecency!

Probably brown ones when they saw how far the fall was.

The Incident was later blamed on the Paciderms having faulty Brakes.

Sorry !

I hope the Ladies are not too severely Injured and recover well.

 

2 hours ago, Patong2 said:

Imagine, at 85, getting back to the retirement village and being asked

"How did you break your hip?"

"Fell off an elephant!"

 

Bit more exciting than the usual "fell out of bed"

 

Hope they all recover well, and good on the ladies for being so adventurous.

 

 

 

Should have been wearing a seat belt, 555

Why the hell are tourists still riding elephants. Surely by now they realise how cruel it is and they are simply funding future torture of these magnificent giants. Riding elephants destroy their backs as its the weakest part of the elephant. Sickening that this practice still exists. The sooner it stops the sooner these illegal wildlife traders will give up their elephants and they can be relocated to some of these wonderful wildlife parks in chiang Mai or even WFFT in Petchburi. They cannot be released into the wild but these parks at least mean no more riding, no more chains, no more shows but just live out their lives peacefully with other elephants. Please don't ride elephants or support elephant shows. Watch a video of an elephant calf being "broken". It will bring the very toughest man to tears. 

Some years ago I fell down on an uneven footpath. It hurt! And it hurt maybe for a month or two.

Why would any old person go on anything from which they can possibly fall down from maybe 2m height? Stupid!

At 70 and 80 I think I will stick to riding my motorcycle.  Those elephants can be a holes sometimes 

5 hours ago, steven100 said:

the driver was 73 yrs old,  two passengers are 71 & 85 yrs old for god sake   !   

might be better if they stick to crochet and bingo next time,  riding animals at 85 can pose certain risks.

Well thank god it's not up to you to decide what age a person should be to enjoy themselves. riding Elephants at any age can pose risks. Incidentally if your take on old age is crochet and Bingo, you have a very poor view of life.

5 hours ago, Jerno said:

What's with the recent news with names withheld,  privacy etc?  All good perhaps, but used to announce all kinds of details about victims.... including what color undershorts they were wearing!

With their surnames with-held, do you still not know Alice and Virginia from America?    555

4 hours ago, petermik said:

Foolish would be a better description ????

OK, but how much 'subtle' pressure was in the whole situation to push for agreement to take the ride and therefore revenue for the elephant own and the INFLUENCER / the tour guide?

2 hours ago, Charlie Halliday said:

Why the hell are tourists still riding elephants. Surely by now they realise how cruel it is and they are simply funding future torture of these magnificent giants. Riding elephants destroy their backs as its the weakest part of the elephant. Sickening that this practice still exists. The sooner it stops the sooner these illegal wildlife traders will give up their elephants and they can be relocated to some of these wonderful wildlife parks in chiang Mai or even WFFT in Petchburi. They cannot be released into the wild but these parks at least mean no more riding, no more chains, no more shows but just live out their lives peacefully with other elephants. Please don't ride elephants or support elephant shows. Watch a video of an elephant calf being "broken". It will bring the very toughest man to tears. 

Very well said. The treatment of elephants in Thailand is cruel and disgusting. All of  those involved should be ashamed.

3 hours ago, BTB1977 said:

Those elephants can be a holes sometimes 

forgive my ignorance ... I don't understand this ?   it's not correct english and what do you mean ?

6 hours ago, JWRC said:

Well thank god it's not up to you to decide what age a person should be to enjoy themselves. riding Elephants at any age can pose risks. Incidentally if your take on old age is crochet and Bingo, you have a very poor view of life.

An English friend of mine - who as it appenz is on the forum - fell off an elephant in Ko Chang. He was showing off a bit by standing on the elephant while the Thai guide took pics.

 

He didn't get hurt falling off, but it was hilly and he rolled down the hill about 50 metres, into the pond at the bottom. He was OK. He had been in special forces in his younger days so knew how to mitigate the fall and the slope. He made his way back up the muddy, slippery slope. Much to the relief of the elephant man.

 

"Did you catch it with the camera?" He asked. There was some footage.  I'm seen the pics. I'll get him to post later.

 

He thought his new wife had a hand in it.

Edited September 6, 20224 yr by voulez vous

A flame post has been removed.

You don't stop because you become old!

You become old because you stop.

I hope the elephant is being offered psychological counseling.

Events like this can cause a great deal of stress, guilt, and survivor guilt for an elephant.

And of course these can be long term problems since, as is a well-known fact, elephants never forget.