Cultural Soul of Thai Elephant

The Thai elephant is a national treasure. When you visit Thailand, you’ll easily see why.

 

Chang Thai: Plai & Phang

These gentle giants, in Thailand we call ‘Chang’. You will see the word ‘Chang Thai’ on various things such as shirts, souvenirs, and the name of a restaurant. Thai Elephants are not just animals, they are family, weaving their way through Thai history, faith, and daily life. There is a way of life that is connected with elephant in Thailand from the past to the present. Before the current tricolor design, the national flag of Thailand was a red flag featuring a white elephant.

There are two types of elephants: Asian elephants and African elephants. Asian elephants are elephants that live in Asia, such as in Thailand, Burma, India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia. African elephants live in Africa. Though the two kinds of elephants look similar at first glance, you can easily tell them apart by their ears. They are actually from different family lines like cows and buffalos.

A fully grown Asian Elephant reaches an average height of approximately 3 meters. Only male elephants have tusks. Local people in Thailand call male elephants ‘Plai Elephants’. We call female elephants ‘Phang Elephants’. We use these two words as the article word for people’s names, Mr./Ms. For example a male elephant, its name is Tongkam, they call it ‘Plai Tongkam’.

 

Thai Elephant on Battlefield

For hundreds of years, Thai elephants were super important in wars. The elephant was a symbol to show the king’s great power. Think of them as the tanks of the old days. On the battlefield, the warriors used elephants to charge the enemy, break ranks, and instill fear. They wore armor and carried soldiers, archers, and even small cannons.

‘Elephant Duels’ were an important traditional fighting in South East Asia in the past. They would fight a one-on-one battle while riding on the backs of their elephants.The most famous example of elephant duels in history is the duel between King Naresuan the Great of Siam and the Burmese Crown Prince Mingyi Swa in 1593. In Thailand, there are ‘White Elephants’. They are rare elephants with lighter skin colors which are not true albinos. In Thai culture, they are sacred and a powerful symbol of the spiritual merit and prestige of the Thai Monarch.

Every March 13th, it’s Thai Elephant Day!

It’s a day for everyone in Thailand to truly see how important these great animals are. We will never forget the brave elephants! They were the mighty heroes who fought and died to save our country. Their sacrifice is an epic story we must always remember!

 

Caring for Our Beloved Elephants

Many provinces in Thailand have Elephant Conservation Centers, such as Chiang Mai and Phuket. There are also elephant sanctuary and  elephant camps across Thailand, including in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket, Kanchanaburi, Krabi, and Surat Thani. Both centers and sanctuary care for retired working elephants. The camps offer visitors activities that help support the elephants with the idea that…

Every elephant deserves a good, natural life after retirement.

Additionally, several foundations in Thailand also work to care for elephants.

At the elephant camps, you will be close to kind elephants, cook and feed them and shower them. This isn’t just a visit—it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to unlock the astonishing miracle of the deep, powerful bond between human and wild animal, elephant in Thailand.