Changs blocking the Binta Block

[usual suspect]

2 nights ago the smaller of the 3 changs + it's 'cashier' were escorted down Binta to the temple gates by a motorcycle policeman..and politely told to 'go-forth'..so off into the temple went the chang.
No elephants were seen at all that night, but come 11.00 the little one was being paraded again
over Nr Queen Flower bar..either the police are not tuff-enuf on them or the chang-mafia cannot
afford to miss out on such an earner for more than a coupla hours..???

[kendo]

I don't agree this is cool, it's thai's having there usual disrespect for there animals and for there souroundings an accident waiting to happen in my opinion.

With the mrs who's more than 6 months pregnant she could not get out of the way of the Baby elephant and she had to gently fend off the trunk of the elephant away from her stomach whilst i had to walk around the back of the market stall away from the low life mahout trying to presure us into buying sugar cane.

I also made a point of saying allowed to the fresh bewilderd tourists " dont feed the elephants they dont belong in the middle of the market" and i had a few that totaly agree with my sentiments.

Now in the third weekend in Surin they have the official Elephant Round Up also known as the Elephant Fare, with a perpose built stadium and Elephant buffet a day or two before.

I know of two people being killed, one was a british girl around 14 years old on holiday with her family around 6 years ago but not 100% on that, the elephant spooked and crashed through the hording into the seating arena at the stadium the other was on the street November 2009.

If you respect these lovely creatures please dont feed them, they wont starve thai's love them, ill treatment from these so called mahouts will go away if they can't see them as a money making sorce.

Now a qestion was this practice of taking elephants around bars in Pataya stamped out along time ago, i have only been to the evil place once to see a friend that lives there and watch the world cup 4 and a half years ago.

Kendo.

[PeteC]

Pattaya used to have a lot in high season. They passed an ordinance some years ago which cut the numbers, but they sneak in from time to time. I think the police now send them on their way quite quickly though. Pete

[gloryfan]

I have yet to come to Hua Hin but will be there at Easter. I found this thread interesting. I've had many visits to Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Ao Nang etc and can't recall seeing many elephants in the streets let alone smaller soi's. I can only imagine as some posters have pointed out that this practice is fraught with danger.

It will be interesting to see this first hand if this still ongoing in three months time

[sandman67]

a handy way to look at this is the same way we westerners now view the old freak show sideshows....with horror.

As Ken and I have discussed, elephants are highly intelligent animals with proven emotions. This maltreatment is tantamount to torture. Take a step back, watch the animals, and you can see that this stresses and distresses the hell out of them. Its a disgusting practice that needs to be ended asap.

Has anyone tried reporting this to the tourist police/complaining to the tessabahn?

Mods...remember the cinema protest petition...how do you set one of those online petition sites up? I'd be willing to get one rolling if you tell me how.

[poosmate]

.remember the cinema protest petition

If the elephant petition is as successful the bars will need mahouts for doormen.

[PeteC]

It wouldn't hurt to use whatever influence is at hand to convince The Observer to run a critical piece in the next issue. Pete

[kendo]

Sandman cool idea mate i am sure you can use your special influence with the mods

Pete that would be a really good idea about running a story.

In my time in Hua Hin over the last month, you see the new tourist look on with disbelief and bewilderment, but i cant see anyone that looks like they enjoy watching these fine animals suffer and being used for greed and financal gain and not really for the benefit of the elephants up keep.

Every time i hear the elephants whimper, because these scum bag mahouts disgreetly jag them with the training spike to keep them firmly under there control, you can see the suffering in there eye's it makes my blood boil.

One thought if they had a night time barrier on the bintablock and made it in to a walking street at least that would stop this practice and it would also stop the dick heads on there scooters charging up and down, twice last night scooter boys nearly run into my heavily pregnant wife, one almost got the full weight of my elbow crashing down on his head, my normaly carm nature has worn a little thin.

Kendo.

[richard]

Dont do it Kendo. They'll be on you like a pack of wolves

Maybe if no action is taken by the authorities then a couple of you with big 4by4's could cruise the block. That slows things down and elephants do have a reverse gear

I know we complain about the 4by4 cruisers but it does slow the traffic down

[southswede]

I took this pics in april 2010.
When I was out for a beer on soi selakem

[usual suspect]

IF we did submit a poll/petition to the Apher/District 'puppeteers'..it would show the feelings we have towards this practice..more photos need to accompany any paperwork.
What needs to be stressed at such a 'meeting' with any council people is the safety aspect, plus the fact that HH police are allowing this to take place.
If presented in such a way that makes the 'officials' think (?) of the bad-press for
HH that would be caused IF one of these humble beasts DID kick-off in a street full of tourists.
(make sure they know how those boys are treating the changs..causing distress to them, and that the tourists are seeing this 1st-hand).
A simple photocopied notice pinned to the bar's doors to encourage Tourists Not to feed them may help
the situation a little..?? (subtle wording can work well).
How much money is this practice generating?? 20b a pop for a small bag 0 cane..how much per night?
Enuf to keep police, Ampher big-wigs, & any other governing-bodies sweet..+ enuf left to pay the
chang-owners the minimal amount to keep 'em in 'the game' no doubt... grr!

[kendo]

Did not see any last night but will take my camara out tonight, i am only here for a couple more days.

Kendo.

[Sabai Jai]

They seem to have disapeared....(not easy to hide an Elephant)

Haven't seen them for the last few nights

They were becoming a real pain - there was actually an Ele-jam on Selakarm one night - also one of the guys (Mahouts?) with them was getting quite pushy, he didn't want to take no for an answer even when i politely declined to purchase his manky sugar cane twice...

The Thais don't like it either - Chang yoo nih Paa - mai yoo Soi Bintabaht...

Usuall story I supose - not busy up at the Elephant Camp

Sabai Jai

[sandman67]

I am a bit tied up for the next two days doing a report for a client, but when its finsihed Ill look at the cinema petition site and see if I can get one up about the elephants. The Ill post the link here and it will be up to all of us to get it going viral.

I checked the BKK Post archive and it seems from news reports there that this is actually illegal.

I doubt its the elephant show / haven guys doing this. Maybe its the guys who used to hang about in Koh Takiab?

Anyway, late this week hopefully it will be running and up to us.

The Observer article idea is a good idea as well. If you need a guest writer let me know and I will do one for you....I can be quite literate and well expressed (with no expletives and fiery invective when I try..and spellchecked too ).

As to the delvery of said petition - that would be best done by Thai HHADers rather than farngs methinks.

Photos would b useful, especially of the one Kendo told me about where a young "mother" elephant was seen accompanied by what appeared to be a very young/baby elephant. That is just the most stupid thing of all, and the cruellist.

[PeteC]

Stats show that an elephant eats between 100 and 300 KG of vegetation per day. I assume the 100 is for the baby size you're seeing down there. Who knows if they're getting enough if they spend hours on the sois eating only sugar cane. This could result in a very hungry and nasty elephant standing there in front of tourists within trunk swatting distance. Any bad behaviour then results in the mahout giving it the spiked stick again. There's not one redeeming factor in having those gentle giants in an urban environment like that. As someone said, it's against the law as well. Give the police the money you would spend on a nights drinking and perhaps that will push them into action. Very sad indeed. Pete