"I can't understand how a once honorable profession, between man and beast, could become tainted in the worst possible way," says Pittaya Homkrailas, who has devoted a decade studying elephants within the Thai way of life.

In ancient times, elephants were an important means of transport and as mounts during warfare. Mahouts had the status of working somewhere between the king and Brahmin, representing the gods. Mr. Pittaya points out that even past monarchs had to know how to control their elephants. Not just the basic commands, but how to handle one of these noble beasts under battle conditions - a feat of great skill. Over time, elephants lost their importance as a means of transport and as part of the war machine, but found a new occupation in the logging camps. But that too was taken away, so that suddenly, a mahout was faced with no form of income, but stuck with an elephant that ate 200 kilos of food a day.

"Taking treks with their elephants isn't something new to mahouts. These were simply new experiences and, from their viewpoint, there was nothing bad intended from roaming the streets. Soon, however, the mahouts realized they could make money out of these excursions, especially in Bangkok where Thais and tourists were intrigued by the great beasts. This caused them to move into the city in ever increasing numbers, which became a great concern for everyone," explains Mr. Pittaya. Many groups have come out to condemn this practice, calling for a law to drive all elephants out of the city. But Mr. Pittaya is skeptical of such a solution.

"This isn't simply a case of telling them to leave town. This is about finding a means to care for the elephants and the families who depend upon them for their livelihood. Don't you think it would be grossly unfair to try to take away a man's only means of earning a living?"

To Mr. Pittaya, it is fundamentally important to give mahouts a stable income so they can continue living and working together. Such projects should not only address the question of income, he says, but should include an education process to teach mahouts the value of their current lifestyle.

"I believe it takes time, patience and understanding to find a lasting solution. A quick fix is not what is required, that simply will not work," stressed Mr. Pittaya.