Was posted yesterday, Jun 26 on NNT.

BANGKOK, 26 June 2010 (NNT) – The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is organizing a concert to raise fund for elephants and to assist their owners, while warning that bringing elephants into Bangkok area to earn income is breaching the law, resulted in jail sentence.

To solve the problem of stray elephants, the BMA has agreed with draft Bangkok’s regulation on stray elephant control in the metropolitan area for earning purpose. The regulation has been enforced since 22 June 2010, saying that any elephant owner leading their creature for earning in Bangkok will get six months in jail or a fine of up to 10,000 THB. Moreover, anyone allows or overlook on the use of his/her land for elephant resting including ones who buy food for elephants will be fined up to 10,000 THB.

The BMA will also organize the concert with the hope to raise fund to help stray elephants in Bangkok and creating sustainable career for elephant owners. The concert is scheduled at Thammasat University, Rangsit Campus on 2 July.

I haven't seen any stray chang's around since they launched a crackdown a couple years back.

They are not "STRAY" elephants. They are under the control of their mahouts usually.

"Stray" means that they have somehow wandered off and are making a living on their own . .begging from passers-by for small change . . .or bananas.

I see a lot less elephants passing too, it used to be fairly normal here. I do see loads of white elephants when i go places where other farang's congregate.

The Government officials offered to purchase those elephants whose owners did not want to keep/relocate, when they started enforcing the 'no elephant' zone/regulations. Sounds like another scam by some uninformed dipsh.t, directed toward potential, uninformed fish.

FWIW; the elephant touts used to 'park' their elephants in front of the 7/11 at the mouth of my Soi while they went in and bought cheap alcohol with the proceeds from their 'begging'.

I haven't seen a single elephant on the Sukhumvit since at least Songkran.

One can only hope they've moved on as it was a sad thing indeed.

They are not "STRAY" elephants. They are under the control of their mahouts usually.

"Stray" means that they have somehow wandered off and are making a living on their own . .begging from passers-by for small change . . .or bananas.

And if you think the soi dogs are a problem, just wait till all these stray soi elephants start breeding and running wild in packs, crapping on the footpath, attacking cyclists and joggers and howling all night.

There were a few about at the start of last months violence, but the BBC, seeing big grey things with long tubes sticking out of the front, called them tanks. They were subsequently targetted by grenade launchers, forcing them all to leave.

They are not "STRAY" elephants. They are under the control of their mahouts usually.

"Stray" means that they have somehow wandered off and are making a living on their own . .begging from passers-by for small change . . .or bananas.

And if you think the soi dogs are a problem, just wait till all these stray soi elephants start breeding and running wild in packs, crapping on the footpath, attacking cyclists and joggers and howling all night.

I Know!! I had the same visions when I saw the headline.

I also passed one today in Hua Hin . .a babyish one, not fully grown. It was attended by THREE guys who were doing the begging. This is their dinner ticket obviously and I doubt VERY much they would just let it stray.

one of the reasons the Thai government started to ban elephants from Bangkok was because a lot where getting hurt, The weight of the Elephant was making the concrete, Walkways roads Ext, Ext, Collapse injuring the animal.

The sad fact is, there is not enough of the elephants natural habitat to sustain Thailand's elephant population. If these animals weren't in BKK begging for scraps, they would be dead. Either shot by pis_ed off farmers, or rival herds will fight (to the death). The government should be doing a whole lot more for these animals, their national symbol <deleted>!

Always feed these things, when you see them in the street I say.

The sad fact is, there is not enough of the elephants natural habitat to sustain Thailand's elephant population. If these animals weren't in BKK begging for scraps, they would be dead. Either shot by pis_ed off farmers, or rival herds will fight (to the death). The government should be doing a whole lot more for these animals, their national symbol <deleted>!

Always feed these things, when you see them in the street I say.

Feeding is part of their bondage - the food they get is practically worthless

never feed ANY animal in the street.