APSA 2014

Nisit Panthamita, Chaleamchat Somgirdb, Thittaya
Janyamethakulb, Chatchote Thitaramb
aFaculty of Economics
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Chiang Mai University, Thailand
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OUTLINE
 Introduction
 Elephant status in Thailand
 Elephant in tourism industry
 Market of Captive Elephant in Tourism industry
 Elephant camp in northern Thailand
 Price rate of elephant camp
 Stakeholders  Conclusion
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INTRODUCTION:
POPULATION
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 African elephants (Loxodonta africana)
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World population 500,000
 Asian elephants (Elephas maximus)
‐ World population 30,000 ‐ 50,000
‐ 37,000‐48,000 wild elephants in 13 countries
(countries of South and Southeast Asia)
‐ 16,000 domestic elephants in 11 countries
‐ decline in parallel with wild populations CONSERVATION
STATUS
 Convention
on International
Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora (CITES) Asian
elephant: Appendix 1
 International Union for
Conservation of Nature
(IUCN):
endangered species
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INTRODUCTION: POPULATION
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Today, Asian elephants occur in isolated populations in 13 countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. There are between 39,500 and 43,500 wild Asian elephants. In addition, there are approximately 13,000 domesticated (working or former working) elephants in Asia
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It is quite certain that over 50 percent of the remaining wild Asian elephants live in India.(Pravettoni, 2011)
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Contrary to most other countries, Thailand holds a higher number of captive elephants than the ones that are born in the wild. The former comprises of approximately 60% in total population. The number of wild and captive elephants in Thailand fall under different legislations. 7
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INTRODUCTION: POPULATION
PIC ASIAN
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Elephas maximus
POPULATION
Domestic elephant
 In early 1900s
Thailand: 100,000
elephants.
 1965: 11,192 elephants
 1985: 3,381 elephants
 2011: 3,295 elephants
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Wild elephants
 2011: 3,000-3,500
elephants
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ELEPHANT STATUS IN THAILAND
 The captive elephant:  In 2013, there were 2013: 3,295
1883: 100,000
1,421 elephants that had been distributed in Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Lampang, Phrae, Nan, Phayao, Sukhothai and Tak provinces
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IMPORTANCE OF ELEPHANTS IN
THAILAND
symbol of Thailand
since ancient times
 Historically, in war and
forestry industry
 White elephant in
Kingdom of Thailand
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A
HISTORY
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HISTORY
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NORTHERN THAILAND
 In the past, captive elephants were divided into (1) Northeastern elephant (2) Northern elephants
(3) The Karen elephant
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FROM LOGGING TO TOURISM INDUSTRY
Thai elephants were used in teak logging. But after 1989 with a ban on logging, there are mainly incentives to transfer these elephants from logging to the tourism industry
(1)The 1989 Logging Ban practically reduced 70% of work overnight for captive elephants in Thailand
 (2) Dramatic reduction in legal employment for working elephants and the mahouts.  (3) The current lack of employment for the remaining captive
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IMPORTANCE OF ELEPHANTS IN
THAILAND
Today:
(1)legal logging
(2) tourism business
(3) sideshow (4) street wandering(begging)
(5) hotels and resorts
(6)zoo
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IMPORTANCE OF ELEPHANTS:
PAST
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Due to northern area
(Lanna)being adjacent to the
colonies of England, the 1855
treaty bearings allowed the
British firms to trade with
Thailand. The logging
company introduced new
techniques by using
elephants as a labor force.
The amount of hauling timber
into the woods, which
worked by elephants were
much more than ever. Thus,
it had increase demand for
logging elephants became a
business in itself.
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Chiang Mai (old name, Lanna
before King RamaV) played
an economic role in Northern
Thailand. At that time, this
city was not subjected to the
central government. By the
second half of the nineteenth
century, the British timber
firms, notably the Bombay
Burmah Trading Corporation
and the Borneo Company
Limited, entered into the teak
trade in the late 1880s and
early 1890.
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IMPORTANCE OF ELEPHANTS:
PAST
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The elephant in Chiang Mai also played a key role by
serving as a vehicle for King Rama VII and the Queen of
Siam, who visited Chiang Mai in 1926. A hundred of
elephants were brought from the timber company, the
ruler of Chiang Mai and Lamphun to be used as The
King’sand Royalties’ vehicles paraded from the railway
station to the city.
This later became a traditional of accommodating the elite
of Thai society in Chiang Mai. Later on it transformed
into a concept for tourism where one can enjoy
sightseeing around the town or the forest by taking a ride
on the elephant’s back.
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IMPORTANCE OF ELEPHANTS:
PRESENT
Thus, the economic value associated with the
elephant has rapidly increased since demand for
the use of elephants in the tourism business.
Captive Elephants reconfigured and mobilized the
historical practice as a labor force in the logging
industry to attract international tourists.
 Not only ingenuity but also good memory of
elephants show or being trained to do various
postures, attracted the attention of tourists. They
are brought into tourism from working within an
attraction known as the “elephant camps” which
are mostly found in the provinces with international
tourist destinations
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ELEPHANTS USED IN TOURISM
INDUSTRY
New patterns of utilizing elephants were involved in tourism activities, especially in northern Thailand have been started in 1977 due to the demand for activities, mostly foreigners.  This lead to riding elephant along with hiking, rafting, and staying in tribe village. In the early stages of the venture's rainfall patterns, the nature of the elephant was just over one mile in hiking. But later, elephant‐related tourism have been improved in attracting and answering the needs of tourists.  The elephants generated huge revenues for the Chiang Mai tourism industry. This can be seen from more than 38 elephant camps (March, 2013) in Chiang Mai, which is approximately more than 1 in 6 of the whole elephant 22
population in the country.
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ELEPHANTS USED IN TOURISM
INDUSTRY
1) elephant skills show that vary in form such as playing
football, drawing and painting pictures on canvas by using
trunk to hold a paintbrush, showing dragging logs or timber
with turkey lifting strength as a model to show the two
elephants to tourists for a ride on an elephant.
 2) elephant riding by sitting on the seat on elephant’s back,
also known as, elephant taxi to the hotel, and overlooking
the attractions,
 3) elephants that can work both as an elephant show and
elephant taxi.
 4) The ecotourism or conservation with a focus on giving
knowledge of the natural environment and the conservation
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of the environment with elephants.
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ELEPHANT CAMP
Elephant camp
 Elephant park
 Elephant farm
 Zoo
 Elephant facility
 Purpose
- For tourism: show, riding
- For logging etc.
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ELEPHANT
CATEGORIES
elephant
 Riding elephant (taxi)
 Breeding bull, breeding cows
and calves
 Confiscated elephant
 White elephant
 Sick elephant
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 Performance
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SOURCE OF ELEPHANT
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Timber elephant
Donated elephant
Captive born in the camp
Wild caught (old elephant)
Elephant price (2014)
‐Calf worths 1.2 million bahts (MB)
‐Young female worths 1.4 ‐1.5 MB
‐Elephant with long tusks worth 2 ‐2.4 MB 2
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Elephant Ages
Male
Female
8- 20 years old
800,000 - 1,000,000
($25,806.45 ‐$32.258.06)
1,200,000 - 1,400,000
($38,789.68 ‐$45,161.29)
1,000,000
($32,258.06)
800,000 - 1,200,000
($25,806.45 ‐$38,789.68)
500,000-1,200,000
($16,129.23 ‐$38,789.68)
500,000-900,000
($16,129.23‐$29,032.26)
30 years old
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>30 years old
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All payment are made in cash.
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IF THE ELEPHANT HAS TO TRAVEL FAR (MORE THAN ONE DAY), THE MAHOUT SHOULD KNOW THE SPECIFIC PLACES TO BUY OR FIND FOOD AND WATER.
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When transportation involves a vehicle, the mahout
should know whether the elephant is familiar with
climbing on and getting off the truck
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ELEPHANT CAMP IN
NORTHERN THAILAND
Elephant Camp size
The number of elephants
 depends on elephant  Small‐sized‐camp : 3‐
quantity, camp size, and financial success. 15 elephants
 Medium‐sized camp: 15‐30
 Large‐sized camp: over 30 elephants.  The largest camp contains up to 90 elephants. 32
IN THE TOURISM CAMP, THE ELEPHANTS ARE DIVIDED INTO 4 STATUSES:
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(1) all belong to the camp and same owner (2) some belongs to the camp, and some are hired
(3) All elephants and mahoutsare hired. (4) Gathering the elephants from local owners and Karens to form a camp.
ACTIVITIES
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(1) major activity from elephant
Interaction with tourist, entertainment demonstration of obedience, skills, and intelligence.
 An example of activities are tourist feed elephant with banana or sugar cane, elephant painting, playing musical instrument, kick soccer ball, dunking basketball into hoops, show (circus), logging demonstration.
 An activities of elephant come from mahout command who order elephant to follow such as sit, lie down, lift up a leg, etc
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. (2) Minor activities
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Generate other income from tourist are providing restaurant, coffee, food and beverages corner , selling souvenirs, provide accommodation ,i.e., hotel, home stay. 34
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: If the elephant was transported by motor vehicle, the mahout or manager must be satisfied as to the size and the condition of the vehicle, in order to assure a safe and punctual arrival.
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Eco‐friendly elephant camp.
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An example of eco‐friendly elephant camp is “Thai Elephant Home”, “Baan Chang Elephant Park”, and Patara Elephant Farm”. These camps offer a chance for tourists to learn the elephant’s way of life. Not only does a tourist get a chance to ride an elephant, but also spend some quality time with it in the natural environment.
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STANDARD CAMPSHAVE GOOD MANAGEMENT Large elephant camp or standard campshave good management with a great environment, good pollution management, and resident veterinarian. But most of elephant camps in Chiang Mai are under the supervision of many organization, especially elephant mobile clinic of National Institution of Thailand, Forest Industry Organization (FIO), National Institute of Elephant Research and Health, DLD, and academic service of universities such as Chiang Mai, Kasetsart, and Mahidol University.
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ELEPHANT CAMP
Other activities
Price rate of elephant riding
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200‐500 bahts($6 ‐ $16) per hour for person for one elephant.
600‐1,000bahts($19 ‐$32) per hour for a package consisting of elephant trekking/oxcart ride and bamboo rafting in that camp. Main sale revenue comes from advance booking (70%) and walk‐in tourist. Price ranges are 800 bahts($25) person for walk‐in tourist and lump sum price is 1,500 bahts($48) per person.
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1)Oxcart riding charge 50 bahts ($1.6) per person using travel agency and 100‐150bahts($3 ‐ $4) for walk‐in tourist.
2) The bamboo rafting price is 150 bahts per person. 3) The elephant riding price is 250bahts($8) each, and finally for watching buffalo skill in agriculture is 80 baht($2.5) each. 4) Food price is100 bahts($3) per meal for travel agency and 150
Baht($4) for general tourist.
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MAHOUT
with mahout assistant (Kwanteen)
 Higher ability
- control elephant, riding elephant
- turn to be mahout (Kwankor)
 2 mahouts/ 1 elephant
 Thai or Karen nationality
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 Start
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MAHOUT
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The mahout salary is between 3,500‐4,500 bahts($112 ‐$145) in small camps and 10,000 ‐20,000 bahts($322.5‐$645) in bigger camps. Most of them are provided with free rice and shelter from the camp. In the certified government camp, local mahouts receive rice and boarding. Most mahouts have appropriate working hours (the elephant shows are only in the morning time) certified camps or Karen owner's camps, owners, and mahouts have to feed and work with their own elephants. Some camps are in cooperation between local owners and the Karens. There is no owner but it is managed by the local elephant owners. They share the benefits according to the number of hours
worked.
Normally, job description of elephant camp could be characterized into management, information, structure, and community participation.
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FOOD
Grass
- grass field
- bought from villagers
 Banana
 Sugar cane
 Corn
 Pellets
 Herbs
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ELEPHANT DAILY
PROGRAM
 Performance
3 times/ day
- 2 times morning
- 1 time afternoon
 Bathing show 2 times/ day
 Elephant riding
7.00am – 3.30pm
 All elephant back to forest
after 3.30pm
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TOURIST PROGRAM: ELEPHANT
SHOW
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TOURIST PROGRAM: ELEPHANT
RIDING
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TOURIST PROGRAM: HOME
STAY
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REPRODUCTION
MANAGEMENT
 Breeding
management:
- natural mating
 Parturition
management:
- no work after 1 year of pregnant
- put to parturition area 2 months before
- separate calf for training 3 years old
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OTHER MANAGEMENT
 Source
of water
- under ground water
- river, pond etc.
management
- dung  paper, plant
- water treatment before drainage
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 Waste
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PACKAGE
• Elephant show
• Elephant riding
• Rafting
• Cart
• Lunch
• Transportation
• Etc.
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ELEPHANT DUNG PAPER
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ELEPHANT PAINTING
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ELEPHANT NURSERY
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WEDDING CEREMONY ON
ELEPHANT
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FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Income
Expense
fee
 Packaging fee
 Deal with tourist
company
 Souvenirs
 Selling food for
elephant
 Human:
mahout, staff
 Elephant
 Food
 Medicine (almost free)
 Electricity
 Water
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 Entrance
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MORE ON ELEPHANT CAMP
BUSINESS
 Scale
elephant camp:
 Management:
 Price:
 Quality of tourist:
Large vs Small
Good vs Poor
High vs Cheap
High vs Low
 Green
& clean camp
 Educate tourist
 AEC: Competition with other Asian countries
 Zoonoses
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VETERINARY SERVICE: ELEPHANT MOBILE CLINIC
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05/03/57
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TOURISM INDUSTRY
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