Thailand Discovery Pages - The Elephant and Monkey Puzzle of Thailand

Asia Products LLC Thailand Travel Pages Header

The Elephant and Monkey Puzzle of Thailand:

Animals have always played an integral part in Thai history and culture, and although there are snakes, tigers, buffalo and many mythical creatures the most popular of all the beasts are the monkey (ling in Thai) and the elephant (chang in Thai).

Amusing Monkey at Wat Khao Takiab south of Hua Hin

Elephant at the Samphran Elephant Ground and Zoo

Ling, the Monkey

Thailand's love of the monkey is probably best illustrated by the epic tale of the Ramakien. The Ramakien is a myth of genuinely historic proportions, but the main story concerns Prince Rama and his search for his beloved wife, Princess Sita, who has been kidnapped by an evil ten-headed demon called Ravana. Throughout the story our hero is aided by monkeys and most notably the magical white-faced monkey-general Hanuman and his army. With Hanuman's help Prince Rama successfully defeats Ravana and rescues Princess Sita.

The Ramakien portrays the monkey as being helpful, clever and brave and this may explain why their image adorns temples, paintings, carvings, ceremonial barges and even helps to support traffic signals.

Hanuman's living relatives can also be found all over Thailand. They live freely in the jungles and on beaches, but they can also be found in towns, temples and parks. Lopburi in central Thailand is famous for having many more monkey residents than it does human.

The wilder monkeys found in the forests aren't used to people and so can be aggressive if approached, but those found in temples and parks will not be scared and will cheekily grab food from you (if you let them!)

Monkeys at Wat Khao Takiab south of Hua Hin

Temple Monkeys at Wat Khao Takiab south of Hua Hin

Chang, the Elephant

The elephant has been held in high regard by the Thais ever since the eve of the Buddha's birth, when his mother dreamed that a white elephant gave her a lotus blossom (the symbol of purity and wisdom). Even today, a white elephant is seen as a symbol of good luck, and for a Thai king, it is believed that owning a white elephant will bless the Kingdom with peace and prosperity. However, if you are not a Thai king, receiving a gift of a white elephant could be a blessing and a curse: a blessing because the animal is an honored gift, and a curse because being unable to put it to work, it would be a pretty expensive animal to keep.

Traditionally, the greyer cousins of the white elephant were employed as beasts of burden; hauling logs and clearing forests, but they were also extensively used as machines of war. At one time, Thailand boasted a 20,000-strong army of war elephants, and ancient records detail great battles fought from the back of these mighty beasts. Today, with less work in the forests the elephants are now mainly employed in ‘Jumbo tourism', giving tourists rides, posing for photos - and even painting pictures.

The elephant appears in many Thai proverbs and is used as an emblem on regalia such as flags, coins and royal insignias, but most importantly, the elephant is the national symbol of the Kingdom of Thailand.

Historical Elephant battle at the Samphran Elephant Ground and Zoo

Historical Elephant show at the Samphran Elephant Ground and Zoo

Thai Elephant show at the Samphran Elephant Ground and Zoo

Elephant show at the Samphran Elephant Ground and Zoo

Christopher Snyder is the Founder and Managing Director of Asia Products LLC and currently is living in Bangkok, Thailand.

He writes on a variety of topics including current events, politics, and travel ideas. He manages an e-commerce store buying products to sell on http://www.asiaproductsllc.com. He is documenting some of his more interesting travels in his Asia Travel Ideas website : http://www.apllc-connect.com.