(TH) open letter to the Thai Tourist Board

[Guest guest]

Bangkok, June 29, 2008

 

 

 

Dear Madam, Sir

 

 

Herewith I am confronting you sadly again with the ongoing abuse of

what was once Thailand’s proud symbol: the Elephant.

 

I cannot judge other Thai cities than Bangkok where I live but

everyone knows that the same is going on there, like I have heard in

Pattaya/Jomtien (of course, good “businessâ€) and what I have seen

myself in Cha Am and Ranong.

 

Why this has been widely accepted as we all know the risks for people

and the poor animals. Those risks I don’t have to explain I am sure

and the kind of abuse either!

Are we waiting again for accidents or are the elephants that

“properly†drugged that the risk to get besurk is minimal?? And even

“minimal†is not acceptable and drugged even less!

 

The “workingâ€-hours of these creatures are 10 hours or more I

estimate, roaming around in an environment where officials usually are

using mouth- and nose protection to avoid to breath too much of the

polluted Bangkok-air. 10 Hours without being hosed with water or

unable to bath and when they are able to take a “bath†nobody knows in

what kind of water; a pool with dirty and polluted mud or a part of a

stinking black khlong with dead water?

 

Not to speak about the risks of getting wounded when passing the badly

maintained pavements. I have seen a young elephant stumbling over a

heavy cast-iron hydrant of the fire-brigade. I have seen an elephant

drinking from a fountain of posh establishments because the mahouts

are not able to let them drink properly. I have seen that (in the very

rare case) a mahout had been “arrested†and led to Lumpini

Police-station an officer started hosing the poor animals immediately

for which my COMPLIMENTS but I have also seen the same mahout roaming

around again the next night which is a SHAME! During the march to the

police-station an officer with a gun accompanied this, let’s say

“show-case†and I can only guess that the gun was there not to protect

against a besurk mahout but to shoot the poor animal in the case of en

event! And we all know that it occurred earlier that an elephant had

to be shot dead in the middle of Bangkok by the lack of a vet being

able to give the animal a tranquilizing injection!

 

There are (fortunately) lots of tourist refusing to buy food off the

mahout but (unfortunately) there are also being surprised and getting

weak seeing these “cute†creatures! We can only guess how many realize

what they did, when they were excited to see such an animal in their

bar- or restaurant environment, when they are home again! For sure

lots of them will regret their gesture when they are not anymore in

their “exotic†holiday-environment, whilst talking with family/friends

about their holiday-experiences.

 

I, and lots, lots of other people will be very happy when this abuse

will be definite banned by the responsible authorities!

 

We all know the problems of the mahouts but I cannot understand why

there are always new mahouts, even with baby-elephants, are showing up

frequently. And the problems of the mahouts are surely NOT an excuse

to bring these wild animals into the cities making a circus and a living!

 

For your information I include two links to my public photo-album in

Flickr concerning these suffering creatures; photos collected in eight

months:

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/toni_uni/sets/72157603251277034/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/toni_uni/sets/72157604859565642/

 

More text one can find in my WEBlog:

 

http://mistifarang.wordpress.com/category/animal-abuse-in-thailand/begging-stree\

t-elephants-in-thailand/

 

We all know that lots of people worldwide are watching this situation

which is certainly not a good promotion for our lovely country!!

 

I thank you kindly for your appreciated attention and we all hope that

this letter will be a first start to (re)enforce the rules and laws

concerning this hugh problem!

 

With kind regards your

 

Antoni P. Uni