The Thai government is set to hold talks with Sri Lanka on October 28 to bring back two elephants that were gifted by Thailand, following reports of poor living conditions and alleged mistreatment.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), Suchart Chomklin, wrote on his Facebook page yesterday, October 23, that he plans to fly urgently to Sri Lanka amid growing concerns about the welfare of the two Thai elephants, Plai Pratu Pha and Plai Srinarong.

Concerns were first raised last year by the Reclaim Thai Elephant group. The group’s coordinator, Yuwanuch Kiattiwong, together with 50 members, visited the MONRE to submit an official letter urging the government to take action over the elephants’ poor living conditions.

According to the group, the elephants, which were originally gifted by Thailand, have been forced to work excessively and deprived of proper welfare standards. The animals were reportedly kept in chains at all times and beaten. The group called for their immediate return to Thailand to ensure a better quality of life.

In his Facebook post, Suchart explained that he, PM Anutin Charnvirakul, and other Thai government agencies are closely monitoring the situation and have not ignored the issue.

Suchart stated that he had discussed the matter with PM Anutin, who approved diplomatic efforts to coordinate with all relevant agencies to bring the elephants home. However, he noted that the process may take some time.

In the meantime, Suchart, along with relevant officials and veterinarians, will travel to Sri Lanka to assess the elephants’ health and living conditions. The team will also advise local caretakers to provide proper care while diplomatic discussions continue.

The Director of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Attaphon Charoenchansa, confirmed that he will accompany Suchart on the trip.

Attaphon stated that if negotiations are successful, officials plan to follow the same model used for the return of Plai Sak Surin, another elephant previously gifted to Sri Lanka and successfully brought back to Thailand in 2023.

According to a report by The Standard, Plai Pratu Pha was the first elephant sent to Sri Lanka in 1979 when he was 12 years old. He currently resides at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth in Kandy.

Plai Srinarong was sent in 2001 together with Plai Sak Surin. While Plai Sak Surin has already been rescued and returned to Thailand, Plai Srinarong remains at an elephant shelter near the Kirivehera Temple in Kataragama.

Source: Thaiger
--Agencies