| Elephants
have always been an important part of Thai culture and the Thai way of life. They are a
traditional symbol of Royal power and an essential feature of Buddhist art and
architecture. They are a spiritual mentor for people from all walks of life. In the early part of this
century, elephants roamed freely and in mass throughout Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia
and Vietnam. Prior to the 18th century they were the main vehicle of war in Southeast
Asia. A Thai king of the late 17th century had 20,000 war elephants trained for battle.
Elephant Trekking in
Thailand is a growing industry as more and more logging elephants are becoming redundant
in the northern logging camps. For the past 5 years mahouts and their elephants have
been
drifting south to start a new life in the tourist destinations by providing trekking tours
through the jungle foliage.
The Elephant's
living conditions are far better than they ever had in the logging camps that they slaved
away in up in the north of Thailand. If you want to help Thai elephants to survive, take a
ride on one of the majestic beasts.
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