You often see sights like this in Thailand, the young Elephant being led by it’s Mahout. This photo was taken on Nam Rin beach, Ban Chang, about 40 minutes drive south of Pattaya. It must be said Elephants certainly have the WOW factor, especially for tourists and visitors to Thailand.
The sad truth is this is not where Elephants belong, they are here out of necessity, the much revered Elephant has been displaced. Since Thailand banned logging in 1989 the Mahouts and their Elephants have struggled to replace their income. many Elephants still have a decent quality of life in sanctuaries or working at tourist trekking establishments. Others though have been brought in to the cities of Bangkok, Pattaya and other tourist hot spots in Thailand to eke out a living on the tourist trail.
Many Elephants are neglected, overworked, underfed and kept in unsuitable conditions, often left in the sun all day, where despite their thick leathery hide they do suffer from sunburn. So please spare a thought for the Elephant, a national symbol of Thailand which has been displaced by greed and bureaucracy.