Sometimes after you?ve seen someone or something in a different way, it seems unjust and even absurd to attempt to think of them in the original way.

The beauty and majesty of the Asian elephant is so revered in Thailand that its iconic silhouette features on numerous logos and souvenir paraphernalia. It is a national symbol and has become almost synonymous with Thailand and even the very essence of Thainess.

Considering this, it is quite natural for visitors to the kingdom to want to see these fabulous creatures up close and personal, to feed them, bathe them and haul their considerable Western bulk on top of them.

In Phuket there are numerous elephant camps where the tourist can do this and much more, indeed some need not even leave their 5-star luxury resort.

Elephants are all around Phuket, and they can often be seen chained to trees on the roadside until it's time for them to kick a football, paint a picture or take Mr and Mrs Smith for a trek around the ?jungle?.

However, unless you are a fictional Disney character or perhaps Tarzan, you don't really have any business riding an elephant, do you? Really? You don?t? Absolutely none at all.

Yet many do; it?s become a vital component of a packaged and quick snapshot of Thai culture; massage, green curry, beach, temple, sit on an elephant?s head.

Sangduen ?Lek? Chailert the founder of the Elephant Nature Foundation and elephant photographer who had her exhibition showcased at Banyan Tree in August said, ?Thailand is ranked second for the world?s worst countries for animal cruelty. What does that say about us and how we treat them??

The irony of the uneasy alliance between the reverent respect balanced with their cruel treatment does not escape Khun Lek who said, ?Thai people are so proud of our animals, so we want to show them to the world. But we shouldn't, not like this.?

Although tourists must accept some responsibility, the onus lies with the many elephant camps in Phuket and up and down Thailand who subject the elephants to this exploitation and systematic abuse.

For each and every elephant that ?work? in zoos or in elephant camps will have gone through the same horrendous ?breaking? experience. Often stolen from their mothers, young elephants are then tied up, prodded with sticks and beaten until they ?give up? and submit to the mahout or elephant trainer.

K. Lek has lived and worked alongside elephants ever since her father was given a baby elephant for shaman services rendered. She works tirelessly to educate and present an alternative for tourists to get to see elephants and for elephants to be trained, through positive instead of negative reinforcement.

?Elephants don?t need to be ?broken? for them to be of interest to the tourists,? K. Lek said, ?Yet 100% of businesses/elephant camps/trainers in the tourist industry use this method. Panjam: which means broken from the mother.?

This, along with the ensuing and unnatural work that elephants are forced to do has serious ramifications, ?I?d say around 85% have mental problems, even if they don?t look like it.?

The abuse not being immediately recogniseable K Lek believes is the main reason that such treatment of elephants continue, ?Yes they may look healthy, but they are not. Sometimes they just make the decision to lie down and die, they are so traumatised by the systematic abuse.?

Because the elephants don't necessarily look like they are suffering or have been abused, tourists, expats and Thai nationals alike do not object to the system and in not doing so, permit the horrifying ordeal to continue.

?People look at elephants in camps and see them rocking. The trainers and those working at the camps will say they are dancing or they are happy, but that?s simply untrue, they are stressed and deeply unhappy.?

The flagship project of the ENP is the Elephant Nature Park, a sanctuary for abused and ex-working elephants in Mae Taeng Valley, Chiang Mai. As well as being an alternative way for tourists to see elephants up close and in a beautiful and natural setting, it is also used as a place to educate the visitors of the plight of the Asian elephant.

All the resident 36 elephants at the park have to do is do exactly what elephants should be doing, and no more: Walk around in a herd and eat and wash themselves in a huge river.

Knowing that the elephants, many of which are mentally unstable, are finally at peace and are able to walk around unhindered and at their own will is incredibly satisfying.

Someone who has experienced 9 years of this satisfaction is ENP park guide Jodi Thomas, who sees the omission of unnatural activities in favour of witnessing naturalistic elephant behaviour as a more than fair trade off.

?Many ask us whether we could theoretically train an elephant to take tourists for rides and go trekking,? Jodi said, ?But I think they?ve already done quite enough. They don't need to work anymore. Besides it?s so much better to see them like this. People are more than willing to pay to come to see.?

Jodi is quite right, and the ENP sees a steady stream of ?volunteers? from around the world, who pay or donate a substantial amount to come to prepare the elephants? food and generally help out, all year round.

The ENP also hosts many day-trippers and those who wish to stay overnight. They get to feed the elephants, bathe the elephants in the river and - easily the most enjoyable - walk around the ENP?s sizeable grounds and view the elephants in their natural habitat.

It?s a system that seems to work incredibly well, yet K. Lek is already working on her next project and one that she sees as one step more advanced.

?Elephant Heaven? has been in development for a few months, but the 1,200 acres of land still has lots of work to be completed before it can open in 2013.

?We have already planted 5,000 banyan trees around the perimeter, but we will plant 50,000 more to create a natural looking enclosure,? K. Lek explained.

The enclosure is circular shaped and will have four separate sections. The aim of Elephant Heaven is to progressively teach elephants how to become more and more sufficient and with each section further remove human interaction, until they are in the fourth and final section and only have interaction with their mahouts if they are in trouble or need help feeding.

?We will have a walkway around the perimeter of the project, for tourists to walk around and see them in their natural habitat, without touching them or disturbing them in any way.?

This situation is quite a way off in Chiang Mai, yet unfortunately even further in Phuket.

?People in Phuket, Siam Safari for example are very independent and wouldn?t necessarily respond to being forced to change. I don?t want this. I don?t want to be bossy. I want them to come and learn about this place.?

If you would like to learn more and see them in their natural and beautiful state, visit www.elephantnaturefoundation.com for more information.