Elephants Village, Surin

Relations between man and elephants Many elephants can be found at Ban Ta Klang, Krapho Sub-district, Tha Tum district. The villagers here earn their living by farming and weaving, they also keep elephants as pet. The elephants here are treated like friends and have been trained well by their mahouts. Every third weeked of November there will be the famous Elephant Show in Surin and many smart elephants participating in the show are from Ban Ta Klang.

Thai people have lived in harmony with elephants as both working partners and friends for a long period of time. Since the old Sukhothai Kingdom during the reign of King Sri-inthratit, up to the present day King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the elephant has been the 'court animal' of the royal families.
A survey conducted by the Royal Forestry Department in 1994 showed that 5,548 elephants remained in Thailand. Of this number 1,975 were living within wildlife sanctuaries and national parks National Parks, while 3,573 were domestic elephants. Among the domestic elephants, 1,500 were working in logging camps, while about another 1,000 were dotted all around the country. The main place were domestic elephants are found nowadays in Ban Ta Klang, Krapho Sub-district, Tha Tum District, Surin Province. Here there is a long history and tradition of raising elephants going back several generations, althrough there are currently only 180 elephants living in the community. Most of the elephants seen plodding along the streets of Bangkok and those in tourist sites or amusement parks come from this community.
Elephants from Ban Ta Klang take part in the Elephant Round-Up in Surin once a year, where many people come year after year for the festivities. The Tourism Authority of Thailand in cooperation with Surin Province, Elephant Conservation and Protection Foundation and other organizations are joining hands in developing and elephant village as a new tourist attraction, with an elephant performance being staged every Saturday between 09.30 - 11.00 am. This will be better for the elephants and the mahouts, as they will no longer have to trudge disconsolately around the smelly cities.

Elephant sprinkling dust over its back

Elephant rabring food from tourists

Traveling tour on elephant back

Elephant Community living in a herd

Visit Elephants Village at Ban Ta Klang, Krapho Sub-district, Tha Tum District, Surin Province

9.30 am - Observe elephant bones

- Observe elephant organs

- A look at various pictures featuring the history of elephants and of the Elephant Round-Up in Surin.

- Meet a prominent mahout with his interesting experiences

10.00 am

- Elephant show

- Elephants greet the audience

- Cute baby elephants present flowers to the audience

- A ceremony to pay homage to the spirits

- Elephant training

- Elephants in action

- Games between the audience and elephants

10.30 am

- Tourists ride on elephant - back

- Sales of souvenirs and local products at the Jumbo Village

- Take photographs with elephants in different poses

Note (Elephant show arranged every Saturday between 09.30 - 11.00 am. )

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Information

: Tourism Authority of Thailand, 4 Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10100, THAILAND. Tel. : (66 2) 281-0422 (20 Lines), E-mail : tat@cs.ait.ac.th : Tourist Service Center (TAT and Tourist Police), Tel. 1155 : Tourism Authority of Thailand Tourist Service Center : TAT Northeastern Office : Region 2, 264/1 Khaun Thani Rd., Amphoe Muang, Ubon Ratchathani 34000 Tel.: (66 45) 243-770-1; Fax: (66 45) 243-771 Area of Responsibility : Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram, Surin and Chaiyaphum : Hotel & Resorts in surin

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