Lovely	Clever Elephant
Male Elephant	Beautiful and tall elephant

                             Many festivals in Surin, you usually see the elephants in the parade. Surin province is the area that has a lot of elephants mostly all the districts especially at Tha-Tum, Chumphon Buri and Phanom Dong Rak district.

The way of life of people and elephant	It is like a number in their family
	Elephant in the parade
Ordination parade	Making clothes is a way of life of Kuai people

                      The people at Ban Ta Klang, the elephant village in Surin has themselves tradition, art and culture. It is only one community in the world that people and the elephant live together like a member of their family. If the elephant is older than their ages, they call it father, mother, grandfather or grandmother and call the younger elephant as their children.              
 

                       Ban Krapho - Ta Klang is a big community of Kuia people which borders with several villages along the Mun River. In the past, they went to hook or catch the elephants in the forest about 2-3 times a year but in 2500 B.E., the Cambodia and Laos are close their borders so the people can not went to hook the wild elephants. They turned to farming, cultivation and live with their elephants till the present.

                       Elephants are important for the traditional and cultural creation since the past. Before, having the Elephant Study Center, the coexistence between the elephants with people are simple with the villagers style. When the dry season, it is difficult to find foods for elephants so the people built this Elephant Study Center for helping the elephants. 

                       Nang Pakarm is a holy rope, the important equipment for hooking the wild elephants. It made from fresh buffalo leather about three lines and it is long about 30-50 meters. It was made by Mor Chang or the expert of elephant hook so the people believe that it is a holy thing so they will sacrifice it every time before going to hook the elephant.             
 

Holy Equipments and amulets	The picture of elephant hook in the past
	Nang Pakarm, the holy rope for elephant hook
Moo Hin with the Mor Chang, the expert of elephant hook	The Elephant skeleton
	Pictures of the ceremony before going to hook the wild elephant

                               Besides, they still have many devices such as Sung or Saneng Gal, a equipment to blow in many ceremonies, Tharm is another device that used for the elephants hook; it made from the buffalo leather like the Nang Pakarm. Thing Tone is triangular wooden seat that put on the back of the elephant’s back for transporting of the burdens. Kuai or Suai people in the past believe that there are the souls of their ancestors or Pakarm ghosts reside in each equipment especially the Nang Pakarm which is a belief and customs till today.

                                    In the Elephant Study Center, there are more than 100 elephants from Ban Pho, Ta Klang and other villages in Surin province live here. So wherever you walk in the village, you'll see the elephants that are very clever, cute and it is not fierce too, you can touch and play with it such as riding and walking under elephant tummy which the people believe that it is lucky for the walker.
 

The elephant in Ong Bak 2	Giving prize
Beautiful Kwan-Chang, the controller an elephant!	Pakarm shrine
	Field for the elephant show

                       In addition, you can see the talent and loveliness of elephants in the elephant show around 10.00 am and 02.00 pm in every day. Besides, there are a lot of souvenirs of elephant to choose and buy and a elephant museum that show every things about elephants such as elephant living, elephant skeleton  and pictures of elephant hook in the past.

Souvenirs	Elephant’s bone
Amulets	Ivory rings
Souvenirs of Elephant	Parking

                               The elephant village at Surin province considered to be the biggest community of elephant and people in the world. So if you have an opportunity to travel to the lower northeast or Surin, don’t forget to visit this elephant village and you will know and understand what we said.
 

Children in the village	Taking a picture together
Elephant riding tour the village	Let’s go!
Both are lovely	Moo Hin on the elephant back
Moo Hin with the elephant	New elephant controller!

 

moohin.com One stop website for your trips...
Exclusive travel Stories, Pictures and Videos By Moohin teams