TRUE TALES OF THAILAND LIFE IV/ THE DAY I MET CHANG, THE ELELPHANT 

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Animals are highly revered in Thailand, and on Ko Chang specifically the elephant ( Chang). In fact the island looks like an elephant head and there are actually Changs present on this island. As I was motoring along I decided to take a look a look a the elephant ride park. One lonely elephant stood in the shade , gnabbling on some vegetables.

Is the elephant indigenous to the island ? I asked

- No elephant come from Changmai long time ago. Woman. We call her Sawaii. 

And does the elephant work ? 

-She is old already. Other elephants work and do rides

Business is OK ?

Yes OK now, many people love elephant here and want to ride. 

Some remarks can be made on the status of the elephant, which is a sacred animal in Buddhism through S.E. Asia. It is considered wise and of superior intelligence, and fierce. It is best to leave it alone since it remembers pretty much every encounter. As for the tours industry, that did no really start until the 1980’s, when Thailand became available to mass tourism. Approximately 7500 elephants are being held for tour purposes and to give tourists them an encounter to the wildlife, like the snake farm and the crocodile farm. 

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And how old is Sawaii now ? 

-Don’t know, maybe 20 years, she here long time. Have baby too.

Wow, and is the baby here too ? 

- Baby die long time ago. Sawaii now finish. 

- You want to ride another one ? 500 baht… 

Our conversation fell silent. There were many other questions I wanted to ask ( what is your business model, and what does your marketing look like), do you have an interest in durable tourism ? What do you tink about animal rights ? Etc. But I had run out of text. Sawaii the elephant did not have much to add either. Plus there were no customers to interview on their experience.

In short, it seemed that all were quite happy with the current situation. And maybe I should be too. I decided not to shoot any pics from the spot. And it left me with 2 serious questions.

- If here is the Buddha nature in every living creature, and it speaks to us, how is this possible ? Probably because we ( or some people) do not listen and have out own interests prevail over those of the elephants. 

-Lastly, if the elephants could speak to us when we encounter them in a next life what would they say ? Or would they just look at us - compassionetly ?