Thailand News - ITV Uk has Thailand Elephant Park Danger Report On

Izzy · #1 10-08-2005, 02:00

On ITV just now, about package holdiays, later on in the show their showing some elephant park in Thailand thats supposed to be a death trap to tourists.

domifletch · #2 10-08-2005, 02:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Izeickl

On ITV just now, about package holdiays, later on in the show their showing some elephant park in Thailand thats supposed to be a death trap to tourists.

Sounds really strange to me. I have visited some elephant parks in LOS and I don't see how it could be a trap as usually the tourists stay together.
Maybe it can be dangerous if you stay just behind the elephant and he starts to shit

Izzy · #3 10-08-2005, 02:48

Just saw it, to be honest the parks were about what I would expect in countrys like Thailand. The tiger farm seems the worst though. Not places I would consider visiting anyways no matter where they were. Unless your talking something like Kruger National Park.

Sirgezza · #4 10-08-2005, 03:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by domifletch

Sounds really strange to me. I have visited some elephant parks in LOS and I don't see how it could be a trap as usually the tourists stay together.
Maybe it can be dangerous if you stay just behind the elephant and he starts to shit

Hi Domi,

The English term ''Death trap'' means that it is a dangerous place to be and that harm may come to you (possibly get killed).

TV programs like this are very negative and try to frighten or shock the TV viewer. The TV company just looks at various places around the world and puts a program together about only bad things.

Don't worry about the elephants, but it is good advice not to stand behind them when they do sh!t though

dawsey · #5 10-08-2005, 03:08

I dont advise standing behind me too long either

Izzy · #6 10-08-2005, 03:17

I did think it was unfair singling out Thailand, as I have seen far worse places in other parts of the world. As I said in my other post the places were about what I would expect, I thought from the initial outset of the program they were going to show extreme cruelty/beatings.

faultytowers · #7 10-08-2005, 03:31

The program was based on ONE accidental death 5 years ago. It was also typical that they drag the "sex trade" into it. They "find" a baby elephant in Pattaya and just have to mention "dozens of sex bars and hundreds of prostitutes". This program always sensationalises everything and is very good at using stereotypes. No doubt I'll hear all about how bad Thailand is when I go into work tomorrow.

Roll on September 16th , then I'll realllllllllly know how BAD it is.

seafox · #8 10-08-2005, 03:43

you definitely would not want an elephant to have a dawsey when you were behind him.

When I was in Thailand on a familiarization trip, we went to one of the Elephant parks in Phuket. The only thing I did not like was the way the mahout(I think this is the term for the driver) hit the elephant with a stick that had a barb on it when the elephant did not obey his commands. Our elephant was older and maybe a little stubborn so it happened a few times and the mahout actually drew blood. The other elephants were fine. They had a bunch of baby elephants there and it was cute watching them do tricks and everything.

The park looked fine and the elephnats looked pretty healthy.

steve@thaib · #9 10-08-2005, 05:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by faultytowers

The program was based on ONE accidental death 5 years ago. It was also typical that they drag the "sex trade" into it. They "find" a baby elephant in Pattaya and just have to mention "dozens of sex bars and hundreds of prostitutes". This program always sensationalises everything and is very good at using stereotypes. No doubt I'll hear all about how bad Thailand is when I go into work tomorrow.

Roll on September 16th , then I'll realllllllllly know how BAD it is.

Pisses me off too this, but our media pulls the 'sex trade' trick every time it can. I send them snotty e-mails now every chance I get. Some twat writing for the times at New Year did it (Daniel McGory) and I went nuts over that.

They were good enough to write back and the prick has never written for the paper again. Maybe a coincidence because he was a freelance but I think if these people paint a twisted picture it should be pointed out to them

domifletch · #10 10-08-2005, 06:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by seafox

you definitely would not want an elephant to have a dawsey when you were behind him.

When I was in Thailand on a familiarization trip, we went to one of the Elephant parks in Phuket. The only thing I did not like was the way the mahout(I think this is the term for the driver) hit the elephant with a stick that had a barb on it when the elephant did not obey his commands. Our elephant was older and maybe a little stubborn so it happened a few times and the mahout actually drew blood. The other elephants were fine. They had a bunch of baby elephants there and it was cute watching them do tricks and everything.

The park looked fine and the elephnats looked pretty healthy.

Never mind about how a mahout treats his elephant, Seafox. Don't forget an elephant is strang and feel almost nothing so if you think the mahout hit him, it's just an order.
Most of the mahouts spend their life with the same elephant, it's more than family for them. It's their life, their work and they have to take care of him 24/7, a true relationship (an elephant is not stupid at all).

PS : we should organize a "shit competition" between Dawsey and elephants

Dodger · #11 10-08-2005, 06:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by domifletch

PS : we should organize a "shit competition" between Dawsey and elephants

And you said that you were against cruelty to animals, remember elephants have fecking big noses!!! how would you like to smell one of Dawsey's

domifletch · #12 10-08-2005, 07:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dodger

And you said that you were against cruelty to animals, remember elephants have fecking big noses!!! how would you like to smell one of Dawsey's

Right Dodger. It would be too cruel for elephants

Tyfon · #13 10-08-2005, 10:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by domifletch

Sounds really strange to me. I have visited some elephant parks in LOS and I don't see how it could be a trap as usually the tourists stay together.
Maybe it can be dangerous if you stay just behind the elephant and he starts to shit

He doesn't mena trap inthe criminal sense, just lack of physical safety. IIRC, last timeI checked the UK Foreign Office advice for Th, it actually mentioned elephant riding as one of the things to avoid because of recent fatalities.

K.

void · #14 10-08-2005, 13:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by gez

The English term ''Death trap'' means that it is a dangerous place to be and that harm may come to you (possibly get killed).

TV programs like this are very negative and try to frighten or shock the TV viewer. The TV company just looks at various places around the world and puts a program together about only bad things.

There is some element of truth to there being some danger in riding an elephant.

We know a married couple who live here in Europe (a Thai lass and her European husband) who were on an Elephant ride in the Chiang Mai area. The young Thai elephant handler saw a small snake, and he let go of the elephant to try and catch the snake. The elephant got spooked, and ran off on a frightened rampage, with the married couple (Thai/European) on the elephant's back. The Elephant ran under a low branch, which knocked the frightened couple off of the elephant.

They landed hard on the ground, and were injured. They spent some time in a hospital in Thailand, and after returning to Europe, it was over 1/2 a year before the European husband could go back to work. That was over 2 years ago, and they still are not completely healed.

Now that occurence IMHO is a rare exception. I had a great time with my wife when we went on our elephant ride in Chiang Mai. BUT there is an element of risk.