Did you know, 100 years ago in Thailand, there were approximately 100,000 elephants?
Today that number is in the region of 4,500. Of these, it is estimated that about 1,500 are wild and 3,000 domestic. These figures are reported to be decreasing at a rate of 3% per year. Most of these domestic elephants work in Thailand?s tourism industry. The wild elephants live in fragmented groups dispersed widely.

Did you know, in 1989 the Thai Government introduced a nationwide logging ban?
In 1988, Kireewong village in Nakhorn Si Thammarat, southern Thailand, was devastated when flash floods washed away the hillside. Previously these hills were covered by forest. 300 people died in the tragedy. Prior to 1989, elephants were widely used in the logging industry. Their strength being to access places machinery could not go. While the logging ban has resulted in reducing the loss of forest, it has also made elephants unemployed.

Did you know, the first elephant treks on Phuket were started in 1994?
Siam Safari were the local pioneers of the industry, offering elephant treks in the hills of Chalong. Today there are more than 20 elephant trekking companies on Phuket, with over 150 elephants on the island. Many of these elephants came originally from the North and Northeast (Surin Province) of Thailand, where there is no longer any work, and their keepers (mahouts) cannot afford to feed them.

Did you know, elephants can eat 250kg of food in one day?
Considering the large numbers of elephants on Phuket, that is a considerable amount of biomass consumed daily by Phuket?s Pachyderms. Phuket is an island, and to find that volume of food - and the variety to ensure a balanced diet - is increasingly difficult. And may become the limiting factor to Phuket?s elephant population. However, due to the large foreign exchange involved in elephant trekking, some companies can afford to go farther a field for their food. A few of the larger trekking companies are now bringing in trucks full of elephant food from other provinces.


Thailand?s elephants today, face many problems. Survival is its biggest challenge. Phuket?s Pachyderms are some of the lucky beasts. Their income-earning power makes them valuable. However, what about the elephants mis-treated by their owners? Who will look out for them? What is their future? And the wild elephant populations elsewhere in Thailand, they are not so lucky. What does their future hold? Income earners or not, if the status quo continues the future looks bleak for the Thai elephant.