Bangkok: “Suchart” plans to fly to Sri Lanka to bring the elephant “Plai Pratu Pha” back to Thailand. He is old, in poor health, and close to being decommissioned, and will not be able to use it for long.
According to Thai News Agency, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Suchart Chomklin, addressed the request to return Plai Pratu Pha, an elephant bestowed by Her Majesty the Queen Mother, to Thailand alongside Plai Srinarong. He stated that they would discuss the matter, as Plai Pratu Pha is over 51 years old. Yesterday, he invited Mr. Poj Hanpol, the former Thai Ambassador to Colombo, who is seeking negotiations. He commented that the two elephants were bestowed upon President Sriranga, who at that time was a woman and had a close relationship with the Queen Mother. The elephants were then taken to various temples in Sri Lanka to be used in the procession of the Buddha’s Tooth Relic, as Thai elephants have beautiful tusks, while Sri Lankan elephants lack tusks.
Mr. Suchart stated that the principle behind these negotiations is to bring in a veterinarian, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and the Director General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation to conduct a health examination of the elephants to assess their health, illnesses, and usefulness. If the elephants have not been used for a long time, such as 50 years old, like Plai Pratu Pha, we will directly request their use because they will not be able to use them for much longer. This requires negotiation. He acknowledged that negotiations are difficult because they still need to use the elephants, but he must reason that, given their limited lifespan, they will need to be decommissioned. He stated that he will definitely be traveling with them personally.
Today, there will be an urgent meeting at 1:00 PM with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Permanent Secretary, the Director General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, and the former Thai Ambassador to Colombo to reach a conclusion.
“I attend every event and people inquire about these two elephants. So, I came to inform the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has given me a policy to do whatever it takes to bring the elephants back. This will give the Thai people peace of mind and ensure that elephant lovers know that their elephants are not being tortured. He urged me to address any concerns the public may have. This is neither difficult nor easy. It depends on the negotiations. We must speak in a way that doesn’t make Sri Lanka feel we are criticizing them or lacking their knowledge. This is a time when I must act quickly on this matter,” said Mr. Suchart.
However, Mr. Suchart will travel to Sri Lanka in early November. The Thai ambassador to Colombo has already coordinated with the Thai ambassador. He urges the public to await the outcome of the negotiations. Initially, negotiations will be held to return the elephants one at a time, with the oldest elephants being requested to return first.