Elephants in Bangkok Nightlife

Elephants often appear in Bangkok's nightlife areas frequented by foreigners. People are asked to pay 20 baht (about US$.60) for sugarcane or slices of bananas which they then feed to the elephants. Most of the elephants come from an area of Surin province, 500 kilometers from Bangkok. The elephants were used maninly for logging but due to the ban on logging, the mahouts bring the elephants to Bangkok where there is money to be made from tourists. www.deanbarrettthailand.com

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Thailand
• Bangkok
• nightlife
• elephants
• Soi
• Cowboy
• 33
• Sukhumvit
• Patpong
• Washington
• Square
• Siam
• go
• Thai
• dancers

[BangkokPoet]

Actually it has stopped in Bangkok but I noticed in Buriram last year they had the elephants in the city with the mahout. I guess it is up to the Thais to figure out how the elephants can survive in the wild.

[bladerunner568]

safe and happy? no way jose...actually the elephants get stressed a lot ( i have seen it they shake their heads back and forth , back and forth,,,). Simple , DO NOT ENCOURAGE IT BY BUYING TREATS FOR THE ELEPHANT!!! their are groups trying to get these poor buggars OFF THE STREETS and back to the jungle or at worse a zoo/rehab camp...its about money for the mahouts ...spread the word stop this crap!

[BangkokPoet]

Sure, but going back to the jungle means starvation because logging work is no more because corrupt Thai politicians have destroyed the forests for profits. The solution may not be so simple.

[madosamabinladen]

i feel so sorry for them elephants..:(

[BangkokPoet]

The elephants have been taken out of Bangkok's urban areas but in a recent article the writer said they are not doing so well upcountry either. There seems to be little money available to help them but there are foreigners involved in trying to help.

[BangkokPoet]

No, you are right. Urban areas and elephants don't mix well. I think the problem is the Thai forests have thinned and there are very few logging jobs for the elephants and no income for the mahouts so they come to Bangkok as tourist attractions.

[manny298]

When I go there, I am going to ride on one of the elephants..

[Sophieandhearts]

This is disgusting and heart-breaking. This has to stop.

[bladerunner568]

fair point no simple solution but do we allow street elephant business to just go on?

[myhike]

Am I wrong to feel a bit sad that they are in the big noisy city...when they should be in the jungle area....I hope they are safe and happy but I do wonder.....