Wild elephants’ future looks bleak

[Lite Beer]

Wild elephants’ future looks bleak

BANGKOK: -- March 13 marks Thai Elephants Day but the outlook of wild elephants in Thailand appears grim as the beasts are increasingly facing threats from human activities.

Mr Pasakorn Meevasana, director of National Elephants Institute, said that wild elephants have increasingly been threatened or caught and utilized for commercial purpose bringing their number in the wild dropping.

Dr Preecha Puangkham, director of Elephants Hospital in Lampang, conflict between humans and elephants had increased mainly due to drought which has forced many wild elephants to leave the forests to forage for food in farmland.

Currently, it was estimated that there are about 3,000 wild elephants and about 4,000 domesticated elephants 90 percent of which belong to the private sector.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/wild-elephants-future-looks-bleak

-- Thai PBS 2015-03-13

[LuckyLew]

So typical of Thais and Thailand

Use whatever or whoever they can to make a Baht

Then when it is gone ... look around in stunned amazement "what happened"

No thought about tomorrow

No thought about the consequences of their actions or inactions

Just use it and abuse it until destroyed or gone

[Lite Beer]

Nation celebrates National Elephant Day

BANGKOK: -- Today is the National Thai Elephant Day and both private and public sectors celebrated the day hosting feasts for the Thai jumbos at various elephant camps and tourist spots across the country.

Besides they also joined in the call to stop the ivory trade definitely.

Several elephant camps in the North, Northeast, Ayutthaya, Sattahip held activities and exhibitions to mark the event in cooperation with the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

The Royal Thai Police also held a meeting today in efforts to stop poaching of elephants in five eastern provinces namely Rayong, Chanthaburi, Trat, Sra Kaeo and Prachinburi.

In Northern Thailand, the Thailand Elephant Foundation under the auspices of His Majesty the King in Lampang today organized a religious Dharmic ceremony in remembrance of all the dead elephants in the land.

Part of the attraction is a ceremony where elephants were allowed to put offerings into a large, oversized alms bowl. Following this, Buddhist monks sprinkled holy water on mahouts and the herd of elephants before the chairman gave a speech to formally open the ceremony.

A ‘Hong Kwan’ ceremony or a Thai blessing ceremony followed thereafter before attendees were finally allowed to feed the elephants by putting food in large feeding bowls.

In Chonburi, activities were also held at Suan Nongnooch park where a herd of 65 elephants were rounded up to participate in a traditional religious ceremony.

Elephants were also given the opportunity to present alms to monks. Similarly, the monks then sprinkled holy water and gave their blessings to the herd and their minders. A ‘Hong Kwan’ ceremony was also organized which was followed by an elephant parade. A buffet was also organized for the animals and later aid packages were also given each animal.

In the ancient capital of Ayutthaya, a Chinese-style buffet was also arranged for 75 domesticated elephants at the Ayutthaya Elephant Palace and Royal Kraal.

The feast featured a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, including bananas, sugarcane, watermelons, pineapples and beans, laid on 35 tables.

The celebration drew large number of tourists, students and local residents to the elephant kraal to participate.

A merit-making ceremony was also performed for the bones of dead elephants.

In Songkhla, a festival was also organized at the Songkhla Zoo where a buffet was prepared for the three animals in their keep.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/nation-celebrates-national-elephant-day

-- Thai PBS 2015-03-13

[Lite Beer]

'No rejection' sign to be put on taxis
By Coconuts Bangkok March 13, 2015 / 14:51 ICT

BANGKOK: -- Seriously, why did nobody ever think of this?

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa....e-put-on-taxis/

[chainarong]

That's what you get when you get a country that has an over abundant class of pricks, arsoles and bastards ,not one good bone in their body and only what's in it for me attitude , Thailand with it's so called culture should be a genuine safe haven for these beautiful animals, instead it is in the losers league, mind the efforts of the few should be congratulated and if the Junta wants to win UN /US hearts and everybody elses do something worthwhile in conservation instead of feathering your own nest. I rest my case.

[hughben]

So typical of Thais and Thailand

Use whatever or whoever they can to make a Baht

Then when it is gone ... look around in stunned amazement "what happened"

No thought about tomorrow

No thought about the consequences of their actions or inactions

Just use it and abuse it until destroyed or gone

It is not only Thailand that has this mindset. There are other Asian countries too. China is the obvious one.

There are also people in the 'west' with that mindset.

[howrub]

So typical of Thais and Thailand

Use whatever or whoever they can to make a Baht

Then when it is gone ... look around in stunned amazement "what happened"

No thought about tomorrow

No thought about the consequences of their actions or inactions

Just use it and abuse it until destroyed or gone

And just how, exactly, does this differ from attitudes in the West?

[ChrisY1]

So typical of Thais and Thailand

Use whatever or whoever they can to make a Baht

Then when it is gone ... look around in stunned amazement "what happened"

No thought about tomorrow

No thought about the consequences of their actions or inactions

Just use it and abuse it until destroyed or gone

And just how, exactly, does this differ from attitudes in the West?

Who's talking about the west...we're here in Thailand.....!!

[Daniel Ingalls]

One sure way of stopping the ivory trade permanently. Remove all tusks off of all the elephants running wild in the forest and croplands. This will discourage the

hunters. The elephants don't need the tusks anyway!

[cumgranosalum]

It should really be "National Hypocrisy to Elephants Day"

[cumgranosalum]

One sure way of stopping the ivory trade permanently. Remove all tusks off of all the elephants running wild in the forest and croplands. This will discourage the

hunters. The elephants don't need the tusks anyway!

Probably the most ignorant post on the thread

Please tell, how would you explain that elephants don't need tusks?