In an effort to combat the country’s infamously lax ivory trading standards, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry has proposed a pairs of amendments to Thailand’s strictures concerning the sale and possession of ivory.
The first change proposed by the Ministry is a pardon for all current owners of ivory products. Ministry officials believe that this move would prompt owners of ivory to register their wares, rather than guard them from public scrutiny.
While in conversation with the Nation, Natural Resources and Environment Permanent secretary Chote Trachu said that many Thai citizens, including politicians, possessed ivory products and would be more likely to register them if ivory possession was decriminalized.
The Ministry has also proposed adding legal protections for African elephants to Thailand’s environmental laws. It is widely believed that large amounts of African ivory are traded within Thailand, where merchants claim that the material originates from domesticated, Thai elephants.
The Kingdom came under special scrutiny for its ivory trading policies during the 16th annual Conference on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) meeting, which took place in Bangkok last month.
During the CITES meeting, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra vowed to put an end to Thailand’s thriving, ivory black market, though some parties remained skeptical as to whether or not she possessed the political willpower to do so.
