Don't Buy Ivory In Thailand, Foreign Visitors Warned

[fasteddie]

I could name a hundred other things that should be higher on the "don't buy list"

OK go on then!

[culicine]

How is a tourist supposed to know the difference between real ivory (which I imagine is very expensive), and plastic moulded rubbish (that is sold as overpriced 'real' ivory)? I guess it's easier to arrest a tourist than catch the presumably well connected real perpetrators.

Much easier. And more economical to arrest a few tourists as a token, rather than go after the Mr. Thai Bigs.

Western power-that-be know exactly what goes on in this country, and no way will that wash....I can see some sanctions on the horizon. At least now tourists won't be buying ivory out in the open, increasing the blackmarket here and driving up prices for the real thing.

[culicine]

How is a tourist supposed to know the difference between real ivory (which I imagine is very expensive), and plastic moulded rubbish (that is sold as overpriced 'real' ivory)? I guess it's easier to arrest a tourist than catch the presumably well connected real perpetrators.

Why should the Tourist know if it is a fake or real if you just don't buy Ivory at all. If it is real and you know where it comes from then probably you wouldnt want to buy it but if it is fake - why would you want to buy it? So better not to bother. And intact, the Smuggling of Ivory can be helped due to so may fakes around the market. The fake ivory may be encouraging people to get the real one. So Fake or Real... people (who cares) should not bother about it at all.

People should be told the truth about what they are buying. It will be tough on the fake marketers. I believe most tourists will not what to buy the real thing. So the vendor will have to admit it's plaster and not the real thing. Now the tourist can bargain the price right down.....either way I'm hoping it ends the trade in ivory here, and also ends the occupations of dishonest vendors.

[easybullet3]

How is a tourist supposed to know the difference between real ivory (which I imagine is very expensive), and plastic moulded rubbish (that is sold as overpriced 'real' ivory)? I guess it's easier to arrest a tourist than catch the presumably well connected real perpetrators.

EXACTLY!! why cant they just close down the obvious shops and stalls that sell it!!!

its not hard to find!!

the very fact that the don't close down the shops selling it means that they are paying money to stay open.

(or possibly owned by connected families)

Edited March 14, 2013 by easybullet3

[stoli]

I have no desire to buy any ivory. With that being said, it is legal to buy ivory from demosticated elephants in Thailand. It is not like shark fin soup. The animal still survives, and it many cases does not kill someone like that foreign tourist last month with his tusk.Should our thinking be different?

[Tboy928]

But I thought Thailand had their own elephants registered so the ivory could be sold legally?

If so, is the DNP’s deputy director general Theerapat Prayurasiddhi just puffing out his chest?

As far as i know there is a legal trade in ivory sourced from registered domestic (Asian) elephants and has been so since Thai folk learned how to craft ivory long ago. The big problem that has arisen over recent years is that African tusks are being smuggled in and mixed in with the local stuff on a grand scale - and once it gets crafted they can't really tell the difference between the two. With increasing demand for crafted ivory it has become very lucrative for criminal networks to have African elephants slaughtered for their tusks, which are smuggled through Thailand's porous and corrupt border controls and sold into the local market as raw ivory. Finished products make their way to the local suppliers, but surely most is headed to the big markets in China. Its the perfect laundering environment.

What Thailand needs to do start enforcing international law - stop African tusks getting into the local trinket factories (likely to upset some influential people) and stop anybody taking ivory (raw or worked) out of Thailand (that is where this directive for stopping tourists buying ivory comes from). Both these seem a big ask under the current mindset of authorities. Its failure to do so has led to the raising of international condemnation of Thailand in this issue and threats of CITES sanctions next year. A blanket ban on ivory trading, alluded to by the P.M., would see the end of Thailand's long tradition of ivory craftsmanship. Perhaps that is indeed the price to pay to protect elephants globally.

Of course, any 'ban' in Thailand is likely to be unenforceable... it seems this issue isn't to be resolved anytime soon.

So the thai idoits have shoot themself in the foot again, then. IF they had let go off import not legal tusk from kenya and other places, they would had their trade off the Domestic tusk in peace . Now all will go under ground, and Kina with good organized smugling as they allready do for shure will continue. Personaly would not mind have some tusks, but from a natural dead elephant , with a certificate on that.

[annabel]

How is a tourist supposed to know the difference between real ivory (which I imagine is very expensive), and plastic moulded rubbish (that is sold as overpriced 'real' ivory)? I guess it's easier to arrest a tourist than catch the presumably well connected real perpetrators.

Just don't buy IVORY AT ALL and no problem then as to whether you are being ripped off or not , nah??

[bluegum]

But I thought Thailand had their own elephants registered so the ivory could be sold legally?

If so, is the DNP’s deputy director general Theerapat Prayurasiddhi just puffing out his chest?

As far as i know there is a legal trade in ivory sourced from registered domestic (Asian) elephants and has been so since Thai folk learned how to craft ivory long ago. The big problem that has arisen over recent years is that African tusks are being smuggled in and mixed in with the local stuff on a grand scale - and once it gets crafted they can't really tell the difference between the two. With increasing demand for crafted ivory it has become very lucrative for criminal networks to have African elephants slaughtered for their tusks, which are smuggled through Thailand's porous and corrupt border controls and sold into the local market as raw ivory. Finished products make their way to the local suppliers, but surely most is headed to the big markets in China. Its the perfect laundering environment.

What Thailand needs to do start enforcing international law - stop African tusks getting into the local trinket factories (likely to upset some influential people) and stop anybody taking ivory (raw or worked) out of Thailand (that is where this directive for stopping tourists buying ivory comes from). Both these seem a big ask under the current mindset of authorities. Its failure to do so has led to the raising of international condemnation of Thailand in this issue and threats of CITES sanctions next year. A blanket ban on ivory trading, alluded to by the P.M., would see the end of Thailand's long tradition of ivory craftsmanship. Perhaps that is indeed the price to pay to protect elephants globally.

Of course, any 'ban' in Thailand is likely to be unenforceable... it seems this issue isn't to be resolved anytime soon.

So the thai idoits have shoot themself in the foot again, then. IF they had let go off import not legal tusk from kenya and other places, they would had their trade off the Domestic tusk in peace . Now all will go under ground, and Kina with good organized smugling as they allready do for shure will continue. Personaly would not mind have some tusks, but from a natural dead elephant , with a certificate on that.

Yes, they must have known for years about African ivory getting into the local marketplace, in defiance of international law, but never took a tough stance on it. Payoffs to authorities are sure to be playing a significant role in the African ivory's entry to Thailand's trinket factories.

You probably are permitted to buy a set of registered tusks, although I have no idea where you might do that.

[Baerboxer]

Good thing I saw this article lol, otherwise I might have gotten arrested at the airport next weekend, as I have a small piece of ivory which I wear around my neck for good luck

/sigh I mainly brought it as I knew it was from a domesticated elephant, which is/was legal in Thailand.

Wasn't good luck for the elephant then? Be wary of bad karma !!

[rbrooks]

What the hell? How about don't sell ivory in Thailand?