The last time I visited Bangkok, one of the many sad sights that I saw there was an Indian elephant with a metal chain around it’s neck being led up and down Khao San Road by a wiry handler. It’s sad eyes, plodding gait and listless trunk said it all. However, a £200 fine instigated by the Thai government throughout Bangkok for tourists caught feeding elephants could bring about an end to the sad sight.
The fine has been created because the government in Thailand have deemed them potentially dangerous and untidy. However, the fines will also help to reduce the number of elephants that are exploited in the tourist trade; many of which suffer as a result of their life on the streets of Bangkok where they have been known to injure themselves on pot holes and drains.
However, despite the obvious benefits of this, there are also several negatives for the Thai government to deal with. Firstly, by making it financially difficult for owners of elephants to keep them well, there is the possibility that more elephants will suffer in the short term, despite the deterrence in the long run. Additionally, the fines could contribute to an overall reduction of elephant populations in Thailand.
The question is whether or not the Thai government will put into action a plan to deal with existing elephants in the tourist trade in Bangkok and to create environments in which elephant populations in Thailand can grow. The plight of the Indian elephant is well documented and situations like this further emphasise the importance of charity work like the very excellent London Elephant Parade that made the city so cool this summer.
