Authors : Angthong Bunserm , Songkoon Chantachon and Worapol Aengwanich
Abstract: This research aimed to examine the management and utilization of elephant in Thailand. Data were collected from 5 main elephant raising centers: Surin and Chaiyaphum centers in Northeast; Lampang Elephant Institute in the North, Ayuthaya center in Central and Phuket Fantasea in the South, between January and July 2007 by using qualitative research methodology. The finding of the research was as follow: Elephant raising in Thai had been in the process of changes continuously. When the Thai government terminated the timber monopoly in 1989, elephants and their mahouts were laid off. For their survival, the elephants` owners had to adapt themselves in terms of raising and management. Nowadays forms of elephant management are divided into 3 types: Firstly, by government sector; secondly, by private sector, in which the elephants were trained to present their capabilities in a circus and thirdly, by elephant`s owners, in which the elephants owners train their elephants to do many amazing tasks, traveling and presenting elephant shows from places to places, while less gifted or less trained elephants going into larger towns and selling elephant`s food to the elephant lovers along the streets. It is obvious that the utilization of the elephants in modern days is different from the past. In the past, elephants were used for logs moving. But nowadays elephants are able to perform various types of tasks, these include: Elephant actors or artist, elephants for tourism business and elephants for elephant`s food or elephant related merchandises selling. The finding of this research reveals: The changes of elephant raising in Thailand, the relationship between the elephant and its mahout and the adaptation for survival of both elephants and their mahouts in accordance with global societies` changes.
Angthong Bunserm , Songkoon Chantachon and Worapol Aengwanich , 2008. Management and Utilization of Elephant (Elephas maximus Indicus) in Thailand . The Social Sciences, 3: 37-40.