Elephants: from work animal to national symbol

The ช้าง is Thailand's national animal and appears on old flags, temple murals and beer labels. White elephants (ช้างเผือก) were traditionally associated with royalty. For centuries elephants worked in war and logging; when commercial logging was banned in 1989, many working elephants and their mahouts turned to tourism. Today visitors increasingly choose sanctuaries that offer watching, feeding and walking rather than riding or shows, and many camps have changed accordingly. Wild elephants (ช้างป่า) still live in parks like Khao Yai and sometimes stroll onto the roads: stay in your car and give them space. Thai Elephant Day is 13 March.