Crazed Elephant Kills Thai Wife On Rayong Beach



A 56-year-old Thai wife of a farang was fatally gored by a 2-year-old elephant on Maerampung beach. She was buying sugar cane to feed the elephant when it attacked her. The mahout said the hot weather had crazed the normally docile beast. The mahout and the elephant’s owner will be prosecuted by police.

RAYONG – March 4, 2013 [PDN]; At 5:30 p.m., a report of an elephant killing a Thai female tourist was received by Pol. Lt. Capt. Thawatch Norsingha, Muangrayong police station, Rayong.

Rescuers from Sawangpornkusol foundation Rayong reported that a 2-year-old elephant went insane and used its tusk to gore a Thai tourist on Maerampung beach. The victim was severely injured and died in Rayong hospital.

Police officers arriving at the scene found the elephant, named Plai Boonchoo, 2 years old, was being chained on his front legs in Khaosap temple, Pae, Muang. The elephant was acting insane, whining loudly all the time and shocking tourists, who quickly fled because they were afraid the elephant would kill more people.

Officers went to the hospital emergency room to check on the victim, and discovered she had died from her injuries. Her collarbones were broken, and her lungs had been pierced, with blood shed inside her rib cage area. The victim was identified as Mrs. Sairung Kraja, 56 years old. Standing sadly near her body was her husband, Mr. Helmut Schoeler , 63 years old, nationality German.

Mr. Helmut told police that he and his wife were staying at the Rayong beach hotel on Maerampueng beach. He brought his wife to the beach, and they saw the mahout who came along with the elephant to beg for food, and was selling the sugar cane to feed the animal.

Full story: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2013/03/05/crazed-elephant-kills-thai-wife-on-rayong-beach/

-- Pattaya Daily News 2013-03-05

elephant on meth. bad idea

such a sad story , very sorry for this woman , maybe time to realized that elephant are not that peaceful after all. They should be forbidden on the beach or any other tourist area.. rare accident for sure but it happened.

The hot weather made the elephant insane or the treatment it had received from it's mahout?

This story is sad, and seems to occur on a fairly regular basis here.

Then there is a big crackdown on begging elephants. Then everything

goes quiet for a while. And then another tourist is killed by an elephant.

Maybe time to change the tune ??

the elephant got annoyed and acted untamed

Could it be because it's a wild animal and it didn't know it was supposed to act tame?

too much sugar cane ?

the elephant got annoyed and acted untamed

Could it be because it's a wild animal and it didn't know it was supposed to act tame?

Many humans are too.

such a sad story , very sorry for this woman , maybe time to realized that elephant are not that peaceful after all. They should be forbidden on the beach or any other tourist area.. rare accident for sure but it happened.

Elephants are wild animals, perhaps it's time to realize that beating and starving them to use as show pony is not wise and has consequences.

Perhaps it's also time to realize that animals are not here for human amusement.

Rip victim and condolences to the husband irrespective where he is from.

Really have no idea why origin of a person is important in reporting sad news like this

My sympathy for Mr.Helmut Schoeler for the loss of his wife.

I hope the police confiscate the elephant and move it to a place where it can live in some peace rather than being hobbled to beg for food at a temple on/near the beach.

Let's hope the elephant's owner, probably someone with some money, is sued for compensation for the husband's loss. No doubt the mahout only has what he stands up in.

I cannot imagine how Mr. Helmut must be feeling.

Whatever recourse he has will never bring back his wife.

So sorry for your loss Mr. Helmut. Good Luck.

Elephants do not belong near civilisation, they need to be free. This animal did no go insane through heat. Most likely mistreatment as the reaction described is a distressed state. And feeding a few sticks of sugar cane - these animals need 50 kgs a day - this is clear cut cruelty to animals and this idiot mahout needs to be arrested, his animal confiscated and returned to its natural habitat.

Last year, was with some friends at Ban Amphor beach, and there was an elephant begging, or rather its owner was begging. My friends had a baby, and was letting it play with the elephant. I tried to warn them, that elephants are dangerous, but since they were Thai, they didnt worry about it. People think they are helping the elephant, by buying it food, but they are only helping the owner, since he is the one selling the food.

Tourists in general need to take a lot of the blame, as they are the ones creating the demand. They should stay well away from chained up animals like elephants, tigers, bears, etc. It's very cruel to treat animals this way for the amusement of tourists. And shame on all the tourists that perpetuate these cruelties. The cruelty is often obvious to see, bit most tourists just don't care, as long as they get their precious photo.

Tourists in general need to take a lot of the blame, as they are the ones creating the demand. They should stay well away from chained up animals like elephants, tigers, bears, etc. It's very cruel to treat animals this way for the amusement of tourists. And shame on all the tourists that perpetuate these cruelties. The cruelty is often obvious to see, bit most tourists just don't care, as long as they get their precious photo.

So you want to ban horse racing ?

An owner of an animal, that shows up with food for you to buy, so the animal eats, is a total play on emotion, and sociopathic...

The hot weather made the elephant insane or the treatment it had received from it's mahout?

Chained, beaten, poked, taken from mother early...

An owner of an animal, that shows up with food for you to buy, so the animal eats, is a total play on emotion, and sociopathic...

Rubbish, the animal knows what ever happens it's going to eat it. It doesn't know about money changing hands the same as a race horse doesn't know why it's being whipped around a track, but it knows food is awaiting.

Tourists in general need to take a lot of the blame, as they are the ones creating the demand. They should stay well away from chained up animals like elephants, tigers, bears, etc. It's very cruel to treat animals this way for the amusement of tourists. And shame on all the tourists that perpetuate these cruelties. The cruelty is often obvious to see, bit most tourists just don't care, as long as they get their precious photo.

So you want to ban horse racing ?

Yes, and dog racing. The animals are discarded when they are of no use.

Tourists in general need to take a lot of the blame, as they are the ones creating the demand. They should stay well away from chained up animals like elephants, tigers, bears, etc. It's very cruel to treat animals this way for the amusement of tourists. And shame on all the tourists that perpetuate these cruelties. The cruelty is often obvious to see, bit most tourists just don't care, as long as they get their precious photo.

So you want to ban horse racing ?

Yes, and dog racing. The animals are discarded when they are of no use.

Yes, UK hamburgers.

It's surprising that there are not more incidents like this. A normally docile animal as big as an elephant can be very dangerous and some little thing can set them off. Elephants belong in the jungle and NOT on the roads. The politicians and police pay lip service when a tragedy happens but nothing is really done to prevent the next tragedy. The least that should happen is the animals be confiscated.

An owner of an animal, that shows up with food for you to buy, so the animal eats, is a total play on emotion, and sociopathic...

Rubbish, the animal knows what ever happens it's going to eat it. It doesn't know about money changing hands the same as a race horse doesn't know why it's being whipped around a track, but it knows food is awaiting.

I wasn't talking about the animal, I was referring to the behavior of the owner. Hardly rubbish at all, if you know anything about psychology.

I feel very sorry for the woman and her husband.

THe original post is probably some of the worst news writing I've ever read. (It actually implies the elephant was married!)

THere are some serious questions as the what the ******* the animals was doing there in the first place.........and this the week when Thailand's wildlife policies are under international scrutiny.

PS - "mahout"?? - I very much doubt it.

An owner of an animal, that shows up with food for you to buy, so the animal eats, is a total play on emotion, and sociopathic...

Rubbish, the animal knows what ever happens it's going to eat it. It doesn't know about money changing hands the same as a race horse doesn't know why it's being whipped around a track, but it knows food is awaiting.

I wasn't talking about the animal, I was referring to the behavior of the owner. Hardly rubbish at all, if you know anything about psychology.

<deleted> has psychology got to do with anything in LOS. LOS folk must feed themselves by what ever means possible, no social security here, feed the family, end of story.

Go back in the UK's history before social security and see how folk survived.

An owner of an animal, that shows up with food for you to buy, so the animal eats, is a total play on emotion, and sociopathic...

Rubbish, the animal knows what ever happens it's going to eat it. It doesn't know about money changing hands the same as a race horse doesn't know why it's being whipped around a track, but it knows food is awaiting.

I wasn't talking about the animal, I was referring to the behavior of the owner. Hardly rubbish at all, if you know anything about psychology.

<deleted> has psychology got to do with anything in LOS. LOS folk must feed themselves by what ever means possible, no social security here, feed the family, end of story.

Go back in the UK's history before social security and see how folk survived.

Sure, everyone has to eat, even the animals. Manipulating one persons emotions with a defenseless animal, so that you gain, is a "pity play", and a pity play, a play on ones emotions, is typically the first thing a sociopath will try. If he/she is able-bodied and has an elephant he is probably not that poor, or hungry. Let him use his resources to earn a living without manipulating tourists emotions.

An owner of an animal, that shows up with food for you to buy, so the animal eats, is a total play on emotion, and sociopathic...

Rubbish, the animal knows what ever happens it's going to eat it. It doesn't know about money changing hands the same as a race horse doesn't know why it's being whipped around a track, but it knows food is awaiting.

I wasn't talking about the animal, I was referring to the behavior of the owner. Hardly rubbish at all, if you know anything about psychology.

<deleted> has psychology got to do with anything in LOS. LOS folk must feed themselves by what ever means possible, no social security here, feed the family, end of story.

Go back in the UK's history before social security and see how folk survived.

I hate to do, but must disagree with you.

There are thousands of jobs around and people have choices, so the excuse "must feed the family" so will do whatever does not really work for me.

Also keep in mind it cost around 800 000 baht to buy a baby elephant, so not exactly the cheapest purchase, and not available for the poor, as i doubt bank will do the financing

04/03/13 was an unusually cool day at the Eastern seaboard, low 24.0 and high 29.5 degrees in Rayong. Enjoy a few more cool days, forecast starting on Saturday is a heatwave.

My sympathy for Mr.Helmut Schoeler for the loss of his wife.

I hope the police confiscate the elephant and move it to a place where it can live in some peace rather than being hobbled to beg for food at a temple on/near the beach.

Let's hope the elephant's owner, probably someone with some money, is sued for compensation for the husband's loss. No doubt the mahout only has what he stands up in.

Tie it to an inactive post!

Rip.... So sad.

An owner of an animal, that shows up with food for you to buy, so the animal eats, is a total play on emotion, and sociopathic...

Rubbish, the animal knows what ever happens it's going to eat it. It doesn't know about money changing hands the same as a race horse doesn't know why it's being whipped around a track, but it knows food is awaiting.

That is just the most ridiculous piece of anthropomorphism so far....I doubt if it will be the last