Bangkok Roads Closed To Elephants

[george]

Bangkok roads closed to elephants

Roads close to jumbos

New Elephant Act set to block Bangkok's mahouts with big fines, microchip implants

BANGKOK: -- After surveys found 74 elephants wandering the streets of Bangkok, the Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has joined forces with the Livestock Development Department to arrest anyone bringing an elephant into the city.

Deputy BMA governor Theerachon Manomaipibul said yesterday that repeat offenders would be warned three times after which they would be fined up to Bt50,000 and have their elephants sent home.

Theerachon spoke after a meeting of related agencies had agreed to survey the number of Bangkok's elephants again next month. This followup survey will check the elephants for the BMA's microchip devices and give Chulalongkorn and Mahidol universities the chance to test elephants' DNA to find out if any have been smuggled in from neighbouring countries.

Back to nature

Theerachon added that Ayutthaya's Wang Chang elephant camp and Pattaya's Suan Nong Nuch park have offered to buy elephants and hire their mahouts, while the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation has said it will pay Bt500,000Bt1 million for any elephant whose mahout can not afford to keep it.

On June 2325, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry will consult the public ahead of drafting the new Elephant Act, a longterm solution to the problem that will legislate for microchipping elephants and make it illegal to use them for human transport.

The BMA also has plans to host a concert to promote elephant welfare. Artists and musicians including AssaneeWasan Chotikul, Paula Taylor and Yeunyong "Add Carabao" Opakul have already accepted invitations, said Theerachon.

-- The Nation 2009-05-29

[johnboy72]

"have their elephants sent home"

Reminds you of naughty schoolchildren. Will the elephants have to take a letter to their parents as well?

What next... Speed restriction on buffalos?????

[DaleBlue]

Who's here first. The elephants or Bangkok road?

[JohnGotti]

i am sure this will last atleast 3 weeks.

[JimsKnight]

Hope so, people should be given the right to choose for themselves, not some suit in an office.

[jeroentak]

I red in Bangkok Post many years ago that Thai Law was forbidden to take elephants in to cities.

When you were complaining in Soi 4 to Tourist Police than they were telling the mahouts to move on.

It was however embarassing to see every night 2-3 elephants walking in Soi 4. I can not understand

that tourists dnt see that these animals have a terrible life. There is now a young elephant and sometimes

so tired in the night time that it collaps on the street. Many Thai shopowners are also angry about it.

I dnt understand that Thai police are not taking actions all these years and prohibit Thai elefants in Soi 4

and other streets. Unless of course they have an interest to keep these evil business alife. Lets hope

that it will be finally over now.

[DaleBlue]

Thailand without elephants is like China without panda. Or Australia without K'roos, or New Zealand without Kiwis.

[Chaimai]

An elephant walking down soi Cowboy at 11.00 pm is not doing it because it wants to !

Anyone paying 20,30,50 Baht for a few bananas should understand that the sole purpose is to line the pocket of the Thai handler - not to benefit the chang

[Shotime]

After a couple drinks, I don't mind the elephants that much.

[Scott]

They've been kicking elephants out of BKK for the past 15 years, that I recall. They are still here.

[Shazza]

Yay, I''m glad they're kicking the elephants out of Bangkok... if I was a mahout, I think I'd much prefer to go live in an elephant camp and have my elephant living there... it's must be a horrible life wandering around the city at night - well for an elephant anyhow!

It's cool that people are offering to pay for the elephants rather than have them live out their lives in Bangkok!

I must confess I am one of those people who have paid for bananas for the elephant.. but once I realised what I was doing, I'd just buy some food from a stall at the market (here in CM that's where you usually see the elephants)... that way, the elephant would get fed and someone I knew would make some money!

[JohnC]

Does that mean we have to use the trunk road?? :D

[fobuff]

Same Same....

This repeats every 2-3 years... but you always see them.. poor changs...

Fobuff

[jeroentak]

Thailand without elephants is like China without panda. Or Australia without K'roos, or New Zealand without Kiwis.

Nobody said that Thailand must be without elephants. Not in the city abused as Tourist attraction !

Elephants belong in nature or elephant camp outside cities. You have probable never noticed how

much these animals suffer by walking the whole night in for example Soi 4. How they are kicked and

molested by the mahouts with iron picks. Everyone with respect for animals will get upset !!!

[jeroentak]

Hope so, people should be given the right to choose for themselves, not some suit in an office.

Have you ever heard of animal cruelty done by evil people who are lacking moral understanding.

In USA for example mistreating your dog or cat is a serious offense and leads to heavy fines and jail.

[jackr]

Who's here first. The elephants or Bangkok road?

Thailand without elephants is like China without panda. Or Australia without K'roos, or New Zealand without Kiwis.

You are totally off on a tangent. Read the op again.

[Ricardo]

Thailand without elephants is like China without panda. Or Australia without K'roos, or New Zealand without Kiwis.

not to mention Wales without red-dragons, England without griffins, or Mauritius without dodos.

[Ijustwannateach]

Seems like yet another effort not to do anything about the problem- if they're going to give 3 warnings (and who keeps track of which elephant has received how many warnings? Do they have license plates?) They really just want the mahouts to take them home on their own initiative, 'cause they know that 'expelling' an elephant will be a bit of a logistical nightmare.

[robanywhere]

yeah, three warnings is ridiculous. anyway, are the warnings to the mahout or the elephant? unless they track the animal (microchips), then the mahout can just be swapped out each time.

it should be ONE warning (and microchip the animal), and the next time confiscation and sale to the above animal welfare agencies. in most civilized countries, animal abuse is dealt with rather severely.

what kind of excuse is plausible for being caught again on the streets of bkk ("oops, i took a wrong turn at kanchanaburi and ended up on soi 4 again"?)

Edited May 31, 2009 by robanywhere

[brahmburgers]

Perhaps Bkk city fathers could designate a large section of town as an elephant park. It could include educational exhibits, elephant rides and such, in as natural a setting as feasible. Bkk has a paucity of parks of any type.

Edited May 31, 2009 by brahmburgers

[BigSnake]

Yeah right, now ENFORCE it, maybe a week or so they will be back, SAD for the poor Elephants, those Mahouts are the one that needs a butt kicking.

[Jimjim]

They've been saying this since I first came to Thailand, in 2003. Maybe one of these days they'll actually mean it.

[indothai]

Huh? "New Elephant Act"?, with microchips?!! Yeah!! The reason why the Old Elephant Act did not work was because they did not have the technology.

Now the "authorities" will have a better way of "tracking" so they can (.... use your imaginations here ....) much more effectively !!!

Repeat offenders will be fined Bt 50,000. What happens if they can't afford it?... jail time?... Monthly Mahout installment payment plan with ZERO percent interest payable to (... use your imagination here ...)?

And who will be enforcing it ?! OOH the freakin' micro chips will do all the guess work.

All in the mean time... let's have a concert to "promote" "elephant welfare", because this is all new information.

Yup.. all this love and care... just for the elephants.

Guys.. question.. if I "found" an elephant and can't afford to keep it, will they pay me Bt500,000 for it? Anyone here got a truck to loan?

Let's give it a week or two before it's back to "I want nobody nobody But You I want nobody nobody But You".

[worldquester]

Asiatic elephants typically eat 400+/- pounds (about 200 kg) a day. The Bangkok begging elephants ain't getting that in street bananas.

After the begging's over, they've been seen being fed garbage by the mahouts and sleep under expressways. There are a few mahouts (some family-run rings) that do show some respect, but most typically treat the animals as just more street-flesh and abuse them. There seems to be no concern about putting the elephants to work when they're in mating season and are extremely dangerous (it sometimes sounds like Jurassic Park... from far away even).

Elephants are thought of as divine beasts here but aren't treated that way by the mahouts looking for the "easy" baht. I once saw a restaurant worker on a smoke break go into a shouting rant at a mahout.

I agree, elephants are symbolic of Thailand. Heck, there was even one on the last national flag.

I'm not sure about the organizations buying the elephants (even if they're hiring the mahouts, too). One group that does something like this ONLY hires the mahout along with the elephant, so the guys don't run off and find another elephant to bring to the streets. If they're paying for the elephant, the hired mahout might try to find another selling opportunity (through a substitute mahout). Regardless of the payment scheme, at least the groups will be collecting up the estimated 3000-4000 captured elephants and 1000-4000 wild elephants here. And, that's it in Thailand. No more after those guys' numbers are dwindled down.

Put the mahouts (read, beggars) out of that business and into another -- don't buy (or encourage your visiting family/friends to buy) their snacks to feed the elephants.

[bangon04]

They've been saying this since I first came to Thailand, in 2003. Maybe one of these days they'll actually mean it.

Like so many of these wonderful directives sent down from on high, this one lacks the obvious ingredient - consistent enforcement by the Royal Thai Police.

Improve the police, and you improve so many things in Thailand.....

Political will to improve the police? Let's set up a committee to study the possibilities.....

[Livinginexile]

Don't feed the elephants in Bangkok!

Problem solved.

[Padrino]

The Street Elephant – National Symbol or Tortured Soul?

It doesn’t seem like a bad job. In fact, it would be near perfect for me. Chilling out during the day, starting work at 4pm, being fed constantly, plenty of affection from passers by and lots of exercise. Sadly for Bangkok’s Street Elephants, I doubt they feel anywhere near as positive about their career path, for this is not a life they would have chosen.

Elephant feet were not designed for trudging through the urban jungle. Nor were elephant lungs designed to inhale the traffic pollution which causes Street Elephants serious respiratory problems. Bangkok is a completely unnatural and dangerous environment for its Elephants: strange noises, flashing lights, motorbikes, lorries and cars, barking soi (street) dogs, not to mention the lack of any natural water resource to keep them cool. It is no wonder there have been reports in recent years of Street Elephants becoming aggressive or simply going plain berserk. Speaking to locals on this very subject, I am informed that difficult Elephants are often sedated to induce a calm personality, thus reducing the risk of behavioural problems. I can only assume such drugging causes long term cerebral damage to an Elephant.

There are reportedly up to 20 road traffic accidents involving Street Elephants every month in Bangkok. In October 2008, a seven year old Elephant, Plai Boon Mee, died along with a 16 year old boy after being hit by a drunken driver. Elephants frequently hurt themselves by treading on broken glass, and due to their enormity, cut and graze themselves by stumbling or bashing into city obstacles.

The Elephants usually start working the streets at around 4pm. During the rest of the day, they are left to graze in unsuitably small urban grass areas or derelict sites with little food and hazardous rubbish left by fly tippers. Elephants are left outside in the boiling heat without adequate shade, this leads to sunstroke and extensive sunburn. Seldom will an Elephant receive the 60 gallons of water required each day to keep them hydrated; many resort to drinking polluted river water or dirty water found in the street.

When Thailand banned logging in 1989, many Mahouts (driver and keeper of an elephant) and their Elephants had to find alternative employment. This saw a number of Mahouts take to the city streets, enticing tourists to interact with the Elephants in exchange for money. This trend has continued, spawning an industry of organised Elephant rental and an increase in migration of Elephants to the cities.

It is easy to point the finger at both ends of the spectrum when it comes to this subject. On one hand, I resent the Elephant keepers. Taking Elephants out of their natural environment and using them as a tool to make money is incredibly cruel. On the other, I resent the incorrigible tourist who pays money to feed, pet and picture the Elephant as a supposedly exciting holiday experience. Both parties are part of a vicious cycle where demand meets the need of supply. There will always be an excitable tourist, and, unless drastic action is taken, there will always be a poor Elephant owner.

In Thailand it is safe to say the Elephant will always have a meal on the table. Thai people love Elephants and traditionally have a huge respect for this national symbol. I have often seen Elephants being fed scraps and leftovers by restaurant owners and street traders. Unfortunately, this random and sporadic diet is detrimental to an Elephant’s health, bad for their digestive system and can cause food poisoning. Despite the food hand outs by locals, keepers would not be able to live without the tourist buck. Without it, the Elephant would ultimately be abandoned and if lucky, picked up by a rescue organisation. However, if the owner has no Elephant, they have no trade, no money, no food and nothing to support their family. The vicious cycle continues.

I recently encountered a four year old Elephant with two of my friends who were on a fly through visit to Bangkok. The Elephant had a blank CD disc tied to its tail in an effort to provide some sort of extra ‘cute’ marketing attraction. It was most disturbing. Three men nonchalantly walked the Elephant down the street and asked us for 100 Baht to take a picture. Considering the minimum wage is just over 200 Baht a day, that is not a bad little earner for a minute’s work. The Elephant looked somewhat bewildered, slightly nervous but fairly trusting of its keeper. Local people looked on from a bus stop as the Elephant was ushered between a footbridge stairwell and a row of food sellers. Concerned, but used to seeing this sight, everybody went about their business as usual. Nothing pulls at the heart strings quite like a young and naive animal that appears so trusting of those that seek to abuse it.

Unfortunately, I have come across many Street Elephants in Bangkok. Only yesterday I saw a fully grown Elephant being led down a dangerously narrow walkway by a busy road. The Elephant was suddenly startled by several barking soi dogs that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Fortunately, the Elephant remained composed but was clearly uneasy, as was I. Following this incident, I was determined to find out just what the authorities were doing to combat the cruelty.

In fairness, the Thai Government have tried to address this issue in numerous ways, but always seem to fall short of seeing the initiatives through. In 2002, Mahouts and their Elephants were offered jobs as rangers in National Parks, however, the project lacked the necessary funding and it was said the Mahouts suffered from loneliness. In 2006, another initiative named ‘Bring Elephants Home’ was set up in the Surin province. Surin is home to approximately a quarter of Thailand’s domesticated Elephants. Mahouts were offered 8,000 Baht per month to relocate with their Elephants and settle into a designated area of Surin. The initiative took a turn for the worst though when complaints that the area lacked sufficient tall grass and water saw the take up of 181 Elephants in the first year drop to 61 by 2008.

Considering the average full time wage for a shop worker in Surin would be about 6-7,000 Baht, the Mahouts were ostensibly offered a very attractive financial package. I just cannot comprehend why the initiative did not do more in terms of planting the right food or selecting a better location, and providing the obvious necessity of an adequate water supply. My feeling is that some Mahouts may have used these points as exit excuses, choosing the more lucrative illegal option of earning 2,000 Baht per day walking the Elephants in the Red Light Districts of Thailand’s cities.

In 2006, the Thai Government set up the ‘Stray Elephant Task Force’ to support the ‘Bring Elephants Home’ initiative. Members of this force deemed the job unsafe, claiming that it was extremely difficult and dangerous to interfere between an Elephant and its Mahout. The Police have a similar attitude, fearing an angry Mahout may startle their Elephant, a 300 Baht fine is really not worth endangering the public. It is almost 20 years since the logging industry ceased trading. There are currently around 4,000 domesticated Elephants in Thailand and an increasing number are being migrated from poor rural villages to the urban streets in the name of money. For all the Governments efforts in the last seven years, nothing has changed.

In my eyes, there is now no alternative solution except a final solution, and a humane one at that. Street Elephants should be confiscated without a second chance for their keepers. The Elephants should be re-homed in national parks or sanctuaries outlawing this practice completely. There is simply no excuse for this practice to exist in the year 2009, the Thai Government has the money and resources to solve this problem efficiently. After Elephant confiscation, Mahouts and their helpers should be offered the chance of a new career. A back to work scheme which provides training and monetary support while they learn new skills should be implemented.

The current situation just exists as another reminder of the huge gap between provincial poverty and urban wealth that the country refuses to address. Is it not about time the dignity of this cultural symbol of national pride was fully restored?

You can donate money to help save the Street Elephants by Gogling Eleaid.

ctrlaltshift.com

[indothai]

If all the local news media outlets (TV, Newspapers, Magazines) keep reporting about these bad incidents, for 2 whole months, then maybe there is a chance. You think it'll happen?

Shoot... forgot something at Paragon...

need to Bounce... Out... Peace.

[Artabus]

The Street Elephant – National Symbol or Tortured Soul?

In my eyes, there is now no alternative solution except a final solution, and a humane one at that. Street Elephants should be confiscated without a second chance for their keepers. The Elephants should be re-homed in national parks or sanctuaries outlawing this practice completely. There is simply no excuse for this practice to exist in the year 2009, the Thai Government has the money and resources to solve this problem efficiently. After Elephant confiscation, Mahouts and their helpers should be offered the chance of a new career. A back to work scheme which provides training and monetary support while they learn new skills should be implemented.

You can donate money to help save the Street Elephants by Gogling Eleaid.

ctrlaltshift.com

Agree completely with your article. Whilst recognising it as a complicated situation, I too have been bothered by this abuse of the elephants for many years. Let us hope that finally (with the microchips providing tracking support) the problem can be solved.

[brahmburgers]

Here's a companion story of how these sorts of things happen in Bkk:

About 8 years ago, there was a front page article in the Bkk Post mentioning how city police were going to stop trucks carrying fresh produce in to the city - in order to inspect whether the fruits & veges had too much chemical spray in their make-up. If too tainted, the driver would be fined and the truck turned away (probably to take his load to another city). The follow up article said one truck had been found to have a load of veges with too much insecticide. The driver was warned, and allowed to go on his way. No other stories came forth after that, so it is assumed that the restrictions evaporated as quickly as they were instigated.

Same will happen (and has happened) with the elephant situation. A concern is expressed, then a plan is publicized, and then - within a few days/weeks, police (or their bosses) lose interest - and it's back to biz as usual ....until months/years later, when the same sort of policy is again declared - and fizzles out shortly afterwards.

Actually, Asian elephants are losing their battle to exist at all. Regardless of what humans do to try and keep them around, Asian elephants won't survive as a species for more than several more decades. Wild pachyderms will be gone a lot sooner than their domesticated/caged brethren. Humans are just too voracious and callous in their grab for habitat. Already, there are no wild mammals left in northern Thailand, other than a few mice and bats. I assume pretty much the same applies to other parts of Thailand. Sad but true.