Elephant training (=torture) in Thailand

I have worked in elephant conservation for 10 years in North Thailand. I love elephants! The terrible cruelty shown to the baby elephant in this video is ABSOLUTELY NOT typical. This video was shot years ago and when the Thai authorities saw it, they tracked down the culprits (a Karen ethnic minority group on the Burmese border) and took the elephant into care. The acts of cruelty shown are ILLEGAL and nobody in Thailand condones it. If anyone found this to happen today it must be reported immediately. Furthermore this has nothing to do with elephants that paint! For an account of how elephants are trained to paint see the very detailed article at Inkless Magazine here:

Thanks for posting this. The phaajaan is a horribly cruel tradition that must be stopped. Spreading the word like this can help. Tell all your friends, especially anyone going to Asia, NOT to pay to go trekking or to elephant camps, they use elephants who have been through this torture. Don’t give money to street beggars using elephants.

The best thing they can do, if they want to experience elephants up close, is to visit or volunteer at the Elephant Nature Park near Chiang Mai, Thailand. At this sanctuary they are fighting to end the brutal traditions of the phaajaan and other forms of dominance training, and use only love and compassion, and never make their elephants perform or give rides.

Many people regret going on elephant rides, etc. after they come back only to find out exactly what their money supported. Please do some research about this subject BEFORE a vacation in Asia. There are many videos of the Elephant Nature Park on YouTube. Use your money to support kindness, not cruelty. Thanks.
Dave (journeyman47 on YouTube)

I always thought that Thailand was a nice country.
Descent people don't do things like that.DAMN!!!
i MIGHT HAVE TO BECOME ON OF THOSE NUTTY
ANIMAL ACTIVISTS. But never like Peta!!!

yeh its said.. but i've seen way worse.... i lived in india for abt 11 years...
dang
thats scary

Ty very much to show this video, now I'm sure that a I have a really reason to cry!! I'm so sad ...

This is one of those videos that you can't help but watch to the end while the feelings of disgust, anger, shame, helplessness and a dozen other feelings brewing inside that normally would make you change the channel.
This is one of the most horrendous treatment of an animal that I've ever seen. It's no wonder they occasionally go berserk and attack their keeper(s).
And it's no wonder that I now want to do the same. Being a non-violent person, this vid has stirred something dark inside of me. And it's fucking scary.
What I want to know is WHAT IS BEING DONE TO PREVENT THIS TREATMENT (and forget the, "It's their culture and their way of doing things" bullshit. Regardless of cultural traditions, this is so much more than inhumane.
Those people need a good wuppin' and the kids need to be placed in some good homes far, far away from this village and others like it.
Sheesh! So many people have told me that Thailand is a great place to vacation.
Being Buddhist, I've got some heavy sitting to do.
Sad. So sad. For the elephants, yes. And most certainly for the humans.

I think I'll try and find some background on our elephant that paints before getting horrified. What the hell is wrong with humans. These are some of the most intelligent, gentle creatures on earth. God forgive us.

I don't know whether they are the same elephants, but if this is the way those people use to train elephants in general.... well... I think we should get really worried.

what the fuck...... THIS IS HOW AN ELEPHANT LEARNS TO PAINT? If it is true that these are the same elephants, tortured and then conditioned to paint a self portrait for tourists to buy, then the tourists need to be informed of it. This should also be front page news, as a follow up.

I feel invalid, sitting here at my computer watching these videos. I should be there, standing between those people and the elephant.

liviacolare, i checked the elephant portrait painting link before i saw this video (which actually made me cry). i was afraid that this is how the elephants became artists.