Today, an official from the Phuket livestock office announced that they will take no action against elephant touts providing rides and other services to tourists on the island’s beaches.
The news comes after after photos and videos of tourists climbing on and riding elephants in the water were forwarded to a Phuket newspaper on Monday by a concerned citizen.
Contrary to the beliefs of many elephant experts, Surajit Witchuwan of the livestock office said, “There is nothing wrong with people riding the elephants as long as they are not too small for strenuous work. The smallest elephant in the photos looks not less than 10 years old. Elephants under eight years old are not considered strong enough to carry people, however it also depends from elephant to elephant according to its size.”
“There will be no punishment for the elephant handlers — unless there are complaints from people regarding other disturbances such as the elephants dropping feces on the beach and they do not clean it. This pollutes the environment,” he added.
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Meanwhile, Piyawat Sukon, chief of the Khao Phra Thaew Non-Hunting Area Conservation Center in Phuket clarified the legalities of the act of touting animals under Thai law.
He said, “Touting is illegal if the animal is a protected species, but not if the animal is general wildlife. However it is illegal when there is torture of the animal involved. For elephants, if someone complains that it is causing disturbances, such as obstructing traffic or causing trouble, it will be wrong and police can catch the touts and take legal action.”
“Elephants are protected if they are caught from the wild, however, common elephants that have been raised by people at home and are registered do not fall under the animal protection law,” he added.
Story: The Phuket News
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