The pick-up truck bounced along the dirt road through the Thailand countryside. Riding open air in the bed of the pickup truck, we had a 360-degree view of the forest we were entering. The towering cliffs rose above the dense foliage. The sun was hot. As the truck slowed down we felt the heat envelope us and we missed the cool air of the highway breeze. Rubber trees lined either side of the road, their sticky sap pooling into misshapen balls ready to harvest. There wasn’t a person to be seen except our driver. Then in the distance we heard the snap of branches and the rustle of leaves as Somboon, the star attraction of this afternoon’s outing, walked through the jungle to meet us.
Somboon was hard to find. Most people who travel to Thailand seek out experiences with elephants. Many go on treks and ride them through forests or on trails around beaches. More participate in elephant bathing experiences where groups of people get to bath groups of elephants in rivers. With all these elephant encounters in a country dominated by tourism, there is a rising voice from concerned visitors to stop exploiting elephants for tourism.
I love elephants. Their power, grace, and intelligence touch me, and many of us I believe, deeply. I wasn’t going to visit a country renown for elephants and willfully not experience them. However, I wanted an experience that combined the power of exposure to an animal (which is achieved through personal contact) with a caring and responsible approach. After an extensive search, I found that in Sonchana Farm and Elephant Sanctuary in Khao Sok.
This small family run farm hosts private groups of about 3-4 people for a personal interaction with an elephant in a natural environment. Sonchana Farm and Elephant Sanctuary should be the poster child for how tourism can still create meaningful and profitable experiences while educating and building connections. The Mahoot, or main elephant handler at the farm works there with his brother and his parents who own and operate the farm. The farm also hosts private groups for cooking classes and dinners in the jungle. Educated and articulate, our guide informed us about elephants and talked about how he got into this business after realizing that the high-tech industry in Bangkok didn’t provide him the same sense of accomplishment.
Samboon is a 52-year-old retired trekking bull elephant. His demeanor is gentle and inquisitive. Not all elephants are this way and we were told personality must be considered for the type of work they can do. Our family had a never to be forgotten experience at this farm learning about elephants in Thailand while hand making natural treats from rice, bananas, pumpkin and sugar cane which we fed him individually. We also planted crops to replace what we used and then finally bathed and cleaned Somboon in the river.
Elephants and Thailand are inseparable. Elephants are rooted in the identify of this nation and its people. Not only national symbol, I really believe that the people of Thailand love this animal. For thousands of years the Thai people lived with and harnessed the power of elephants for their civilization. Elephants served in King’s courts as royal mounts and carried Kings and Generals through battles. Elephants worked alongside their handlers and other workers in the logging industry. A hundred years ago there was an estimated 100,000 elephants in Thailand. Today, due to a variety of reasons and habitat loss, there are somewhere around 3,000. Conservation is a complicated mix of human and natural interests, but it seems to me that to survive, elephants need a place in our world today. This farm seems like a good way to start to achieve that place.
Khao Sok
Somboon lives near the Khao Sok National Park of Thailand. This region, though still on the southern Thailand peninsula, is inland and in the mountains. It is famous for Cheow Lan Lake – a massive lake with imposing and stunning karsts and scenery as well as and miles of hiking trails. We spent three days exploring, hiking, and feeling the warmth and spirit of Thailand. It is probably here, in the jungle, that we fell in love with this country.
