Ban Ta Klang, Thailand (dpa) – For generations Suay tribe elephant trainers, or mahouts, trapped wild elephants in the jungles of northeast Thailand and Cambodia, then trained them for war, logging, transportation and other jobs for Thai rulers.
But in recent times the elephants have lost their traditional jobs and Ban Ta Klang, 450 kilometres northeast of Bangkok, has seen many of its elephants and its mahouts flock to work in Bangkok, according to Prakit Klangpatthana, the village headman.
But a walk among the stilt houses of Ban Ta Klang reveals that the village is still dominated by its elephants. Today 82 of the village’s 146 families have at least one elephant, Headman Prakit said.
Ban Ta Klang’s centuries-old traditions, centered around the ancient Suay culture and the work and play of elephants, are alive and well.
“The mahouts don’t want to go to Bangkok, but in the hot season (March to June) there is no work so we have no money. The women weave, but the mahouts have no work. So we have to go to Bangkok,” Prakit said.
The mahouts take their elephants with them and scratch out a meagre living by urging Bangkok residents and tourists to feed the jumbos bananas and sugar cane. Man and beast suffer in Bangkok’s concrete jungle, often facing harassment from city police.
But now Thailand’s tourism promoters have hit on an idea they think will bring relief to the long-suffering urban elephants and prosperity to Ban Ta Klang.
The trick, said Roberto Jotikasthira, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), is to bring the tourists to the elephants rather than the other way around.
On August 2 the ATTA joined forces with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Thai Airways International (THAI) to launch the Elephant Home Tour Project, offering guided tours of Ban Ta Klang.
“I think the programme can be easily done. One-day tours will cost about 3,200 baht (80 dollars),” said Jotikasthira, who is also managing director of Turismo Thai, a private tour agency.
The guided tours include instruction in traditional Thai silk weaving, the making of elephant saddle mounts and the viewing of the elephants themselves at work and at play. It also includes a traditional Northeastern Thai lunch.
Thai Airways is throwing in a discount air fare to support the project, with the ATTA contributing to its organization.
“The reason is we felt our association should do something for the country. We want to pay back for what we have gained,” Jotikasthira said.
But organizers are quick to point out that the elephant village is not just a show and they have no plans to turn Ban Ta Klang into some sort of Dumboland.
“It is unique. It’s not like a circus, it’s where the elephants live and we want to respect the elephants,” Jotikasthira said.
Nevertheless, there are fears that the expected influx of tourists could forever change Ban Ta Klang, project manager Pittiya Homklilas said.
“I want to prolong their culture. This village keeps elephants at home, they have trained elephants for a very long time, not less than 300 years, and I want to maintain the elephants and the mahouts and their culture,” Pittiya said.
He said bringing in tourists will be good for everyone, with the tourists seeing a unique place and lifestyle and the villagers gaining some financial support for their traditions.
But Pittaya acknowledged that the encounter of old village traditions with 21st century tourists could lead to some misunderstandings. Recently, he said, an Italian tour group included some women wearing short pants so short that embarrassed local village women hurriedly loaned them sarongs to wrap around them during their visit.
“Farang (Western) culture is a strong culture, stronger than our culture and when they come together local people change their own culture. And then the tourists will stop coming. I have seen many places where that happens,” Pittaya added.
