Frank Skilbeck, regional director Asia, World Travel & Tourism Council

The long-standing partnership between elephant and man epitomizes Thailand’s cultural and natural heritage. Used as “vehicles” of war in former times, and to fell trees and haul logs in times of peace, the symbiotic relationship between elephant and mahout has endured for generations.

How sad that today, this winning combination has to tout for business in the streets of Bangkok dodging traffic and sidestepping potholes on the roads and sidewalks.

However hope is in sight.

Thanks to the efforts of the Elephant Alliance, under the guidance of Pittaya Homkrailas with support from the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Thai Airways, and the Association of Thai Travel Agents, the Taklang village project brings fresh hope for mahouts and their elephants. An opportunity to leave the cities and return to the countryside.

Through a spirit of kindness and understanding Mr. Pittaya and his supporters are determined to keep this dynamic duo intact by rejuvenating past practices of village life when man and elephant worked the fields while womenfolk handcrafted silk garments and household ware. The project team realizes, quite rightly, that the mahout and his elephant are interdependent through being bonded together for life, like a married couple.

The work of the Elephant Alliance project gives hope for the future for this winning partnership, not only to provide an income through sustainable tourism, but also to maintain a blend of cultural heritage with the country’s natural environment.

The elephant, long a symbol of Thailand’s past glory today stands as a beacon of hope for the future.