A photo that created elephant tourism
By Hideki AKIYAMA
(Photo of the "elephant round-up" displayed at the entrance of the Elephant Center, Tha Krang Village, Tha Thum District, Surin Province)
Above is a picture titled 'Elephant Round-up,' taken more than half a century ago in, Tha Tum District, Surin Province, where the 'Elephant Village' ( Ban Ta Khlang ) is located.
The photo was captured by the owner of Thipaorn Photography Shop in Surin City at the invitation of the head mahout of the village. Every year during the dry season, elephant herders from Surin Province would lead a caravan of elephants to the wild elephant habitats on the Cambodian side of the border to capture wild elephants. These herders are Khwai, an ethnic minority group that has been hunting elephants in Cambodian territory since before the border was established.
In 1953, Cambodia's independence reignited conflict over the ownership of archaeological sites along the Thai-Cambodian border, causing border crossings to the Cambodian side to frequently come to a halt. The photo was taken in 1955, when a caravan of elephant hunters was stranded due to a prohibition on crossing the border. In 1957, two years after the photo was taken, elephant hunting was completely banned in Cambodian territory, leaving the Khwai, who had relied on it for their livelihood for many years, without a means of support.
The leader of the elephant herders, who had the photographer travel all the way from Surin to capture this scene, was the late Chai Chidchob, a prominent politician who later became the Speaker of the House of Representatives. His son, Newin Chidchob, is well-known as the owner of Buriram United, a professional soccer team. Although Newin was also involved in politics, he retired after the fall of his ally, Prime Minister Thaksin, following a series of twists and turns. However, it is said that he remains a behind-the-scenes powerbroker with significant influence.
When Mr. Chai, the father, was first elected to the National Assembly from Buriram Province, he campaigned every day on the back of an elephant. Mr. Chai himself recalls that his slogan, 'Elephant rider with candidate number 6,' helped the villagers remember his name. This was more than half a century ago, during a time when politics in Thailand was more idyllic and less complex.
It seems that Mr. Chai's father was from the Khwai tribe, while his mother's family was of Chaozhou Chinese descent (or perhaps the other way around; I am not 100% sure about his family tree).
Some of you may be wondering, 'Why are there overseas Chinese in this area?' Here’s my guesswork based on what I heard from the former village chief of Ban Ta Khlang (the elephant village).
King Taksin the Great, who established a short-lived dynasty before the Chakri dynasty, came from an overseas Chinese family (his father was of Chaozhou descent). He appointed overseas Chinese of the same background to key positions.
As a result, the hunting of elephants in Surin and Buriram provinces was entrusted to Chaozhou overseas Chinese (the village chief's family was also from Chaozhou). Elephants were vital assets for the royal family on the battlefield, and only the king was permitted to ride white elephants. It appears that Mr. Chai Chitchop was not just an elephant rider; he likely came from a distinguished family destined for leadership like the Ta Khlang village chief.
But I digress. The Khwai's traditional elephant hunting practically ceased here because of the ban on entering Cambodian territory. The elephant hunters lost their way of livelihood
It was Winai Sawannakart, the then head of Tatum District, who offered a helping hand to the elephant herders who had lost their livelihood. To celebrate the construction of the new county office, he organized an event to gather elephants and elephant handlers to "show the elephants". TThis was the first Elephant Festival, held in 1960, over half a century ago.
The Elephant Festival was so well received that the newly established Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) took an interest in it. For the second Elephant Festival the following year, with the full support of the TAT, about 300 tourists from Bangkok traveled by special train and military jeep to Tha Thum village to attend the festival. This is likely the first 'event sightseeing tour' in Thailand.
As seen in the photo at the beginning of this article, the Elephant Round-up, which reportedly attracted nearly 200 elephants, raised awareness of the existence of 'elephants in Surin.' The photos were displayed and sold in photo shops around the city and were also featured in several popular restaurants. As the Elephant Festival in Surin was designated a national event and gained fame both domestically and internationally, the photos also became well-known across the country, regarded as 'historical photos' that showcase the roots of the Elephant Festival. This photo was also used as the symbol for the 60th anniversary event held few years ago.
It is unclear what the late Mr. Chai Chitchop, who rose from being an elephant herder to becoming the Speaker of the National Assembly, envisioned when this photo was taken. However, looking at the outcome more than half a century later, we can say that he demonstrated remarkable foresight as a politician.t as a politician.
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Reference ๑๐๐ เรื่อง เมืองสุรินทร์, เล่มที่ 1 Atsadāng Chomdī สํานักพิมพ์สุรินทร์สโมสร, 2008 https://books.google.co.th/books/about/%E0%B9%91%E0%B9%90%E0%B9%90_%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B7%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%87_%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B7.html?id=cR16AAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y เปิดใจ “ชัย ชิดชอบ” จากคนเลี้ยงช้าง สู่ประธานรัฐส๖(The reporters 2020/01/24)https://www.thereporters.co/tw-people/interview-chaichidchob240120/ ชัย ชิดชอบ Biography http://online.anyflip.com/iggt/ysmf/mobile/index.html?fbclid=IwAR0bv5OIBHo5iFusIevEJ3OrDCyq25gVZ9wVFGBmQqtoNa9SHFQVtLhX_Zo