Thailand’s government has announced plans to hold urgent talks with Sri Lankan authorities to repatriate two Thai elephants that were gifted decades ago, following growing outrage over reports of their mistreatment and poor living conditions.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Suchart Chomklin, confirmed that he will travel to Sri Lanka on 28 October to assess the welfare of the elephants, Plai Pratu Pha and Plai Srinarong, amid mounting pressure from animal welfare advocates.
Concerns were first raised by the Reclaim Thai Elephant group last year. Its coordinator, Yuwanuch Kiattiwong, and around 50 members submitted an official letter to the Thai government, urging action over what they described as the elephants’ “poor living conditions”. The group alleged that the animals had been overworked, kept in chains, and beaten, and called for their immediate return to Thailand.
In a Facebook post, Suchart said that he and Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul were closely monitoring the situation. “We have not ignored this issue,” he wrote, adding that Anutin had approved diplomatic efforts to coordinate with relevant agencies to bring the elephants home.
Suchart will be joined by senior officials, including Chayanan Pakdeejit, Permanent Secretary of the Environment Ministry, and Attaphon Charoenchansa, Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP). The delegation will examine the elephants’ health and living conditions and advise local caretakers on improving their welfare while diplomatic talks continue.
Attaphon confirmed that, if negotiations are successful, the return will follow the same model as that of Plai Sak Surin—another Thai elephant previously gifted to Sri Lanka and repatriated to Thailand in 2023 for medical treatment.
According to Thai media outlet The Standard, Plai Pratu Pha was the first elephant sent to Sri Lanka in 1979, at the age of 12, and currently resides at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth in Kandy. Plai Srinarong was sent in 2001, alongside Plai Sak Surin, and remains at an elephant shelter near the Kirivehera Temple in Kataragama.
In Sri Lanka, elephants are frequently used for religious ceremonies.
