เว็บไซต์คืออะไร?

Jake Roberts Photography

ข้อมูลติดต่อ แผนที่และเส้นทาง แบบฟอร์มติดต่อ เวลาทำการ บริการ คะแนนรีวิว รูปภาพ วิดีโอ และข่าวสารจาก Jake Roberts Photography, Ban Ta Klang

02/09/2026

The Laos Elephant Festival was set up to honour cultural traditions and celebrate Laos’ relationship with these magnificent animals. In reality, what I witnessed was deeply distressing, culminating in a large parade showcasing traditional dances alongside the “impressive” skills the elephants had been forcefully trained to perform.

Each day, elephants would do laps around the field carrying festival-goers on heavy chairs in the sun. When not giving rides, they were taken into crowds to perform tricks and have photos taken, with many people treating them as objects for entertainment rather than the intelligent, sentient beings they are. Come evening, the elephants involved in the main parade would be taken out for practice runs before returning to the crowds.

As the days went on, their exhaustion and distress became increasingly difficult to ignore. We saw wounds on their heads from bull hooks, alongside animals that looked visibly exhausted and withdrawn.

What shocked me most was how young some of the elephants and mahouts involved were. Baby elephants who had only recently undergone phajaan (the process of breaking an elephant’s spirit to make it submissive to humans) had visible wounds and scars across their bodies. Some of the mahouts looked no older than their mid-teens. I imagine that, for some, the choices available to them are shaped by circumstances beyond their control.

Elephants have been part of Lao culture and livelihoods for generations. But as those industries declined and regulations changed, many mahouts were left without the livelihoods that had historically supported both their families and their elephants. Tourism became one of the few remaining ways to earn an income.

Understanding that history doesn't make the suffering acceptable, but it does make the situation more complicated than simply blaming the individuals involved. There can be genuine bonds, while, at the same time, those elephants are being subjected to cruel practices that cause fear, pain and distress.

Calling something a “cultural tradition” shouldn't mean we stop asking whether it is right.

26/08/2026

Ban Ta Klang, known as Thailand’s “Elephant Village”, situated in the province of Surin, is home to around 300 captive elephants. Surin Province is believed to be home to more than half of Thailand’s captive elephant population, making this small rural village one of the heartlands of the country’s elephant industry.

What we experienced there was difficult to witness. Elephants were chained outside homes and along roads, often without visible access to food or water. At the village’s main tourist camp, we saw elephants displaying signs of severe distress, while others were being prepared for rides and performances.

Ban Ta Klang’s story is far more complicated than simply calling the people here cruel or the elephants “tourist attractions”, although the latter has become the norm.

The village is home to the Kui people, an Indigenous community with a centuries-old relationship with elephants. Traditionally, elephants were captured, trained and used as working animals, forming an important part of the community’s culture, identity and livelihood. When Thailand banned commercial logging in 1989, many mahouts suddenly lost the work that had supported both themselves and their elephants. With few alternatives, tourism became one of the main ways they could continue to feed and care for the animals they depended upon.

Walking through the village, that reality was impossible to ignore. Almost every home seemed to have an elephant shelter, and it became clear that for many families these animals aren't a symbol of wealth or luxury; they are their livelihood and, in many cases, a responsibility inherited through generations.

And yet, alongside this history and tradition, there is an undeniable and deeply uncomfortable reality: the modern tourism industry can perpetuate suffering. Elephants performing, painting, giving rides and interacting with tourists may generate income, but the methods used to control and train them, the conditions they live in and the constant demands placed upon them raise serious welfare concerns.

Ban Ta Klang left me with incredibly mixed emotions. It would be easy to look at what we saw and simply condemn the people involved, but understanding the history makes the situation much more complex. These are communities shaped by tradition, poverty, changing industries and an economy that has made elephants their means of survival.

That doesn't make suffering acceptable. But it does make the story more complicated than good versus bad.

21/08/2026

An elephant carrying a tourist for 10 or 15 minutes might look harmless. But the reality behind that moment is far from true.

Elephants are incredibly strong animals, but they are not domesticated. Before an elephant can reliably carry tourists, tolerate strangers climbing onto its back and follow commands, it has to be trained to accept human control. This involves extremely traumatic methods of restraint, isolation, fear and physical punishment.

The physical demands of carrying people and heavy saddles repeatedly, for days, weeks, months or years on end, can contribute to spinal problems, foot injuries, sores and wounds from the heavy saddle constantly rubbing away, and chronic physical and mental stress. Captive elephants can also spend long periods chained or restrained, standing on hard surfaces and with limited opportunities to walk, forage and socialise naturally.

Elephants are highly intelligent, social animals that form strong relationships and have complex behavioural needs. Being denied freedom of movement, social contact and the ability to make choices can have profound psychological and behavioural consequences, which most elephants exhibit through stereotypic behaviour such as swaying. Not dancing, as those involved will often say.

But there is hope.

In January 2026, Indonesia took a huge step forward by ending elephant rides nationwide. Conservation and tourism facilities have been directed to move away from riding and towards observation-based experiences, allowing elephants more opportunity to socialise, forage and behave naturally.

It's proof that tourism can change.

You can still see these incredible animals without sitting on their backs.

You can watch them from a respectful distance.

You can support genuine sanctuaries.

You can choose experiences that put welfare before our entertainment.

If you love elephants, don't ride them. Let them be elephants.

These photos were taken in Thailand and Laos.

17/08/2026

There are fewer than 52,000 elephants left in the wild across Asia. Around 15,000 are kept in captivity. The number of wild elephants in Thailand is estimated to be between 3000 & 3500 individuals, with an estimated 3800 in captivity.

For an elephant to become manageable around people, they are subjected at a very young age to a process known as phajaan, intended to break the elephant’s spirit and make them submissive to humans. This involves the calves being taken from their mothers, restrained in a tiny box known as the crush and tortured until they submit. Once the elephant's spirit has been broken, they undergo training, which involves more painful abuse until the animal can perform tricks or follow commands from its mahouts.

And the suffering doesn’t end with training.

Elephants used in tourism can spend years in captivity, restrained by chains, with limited space, limited opportunities to behave naturally and repeated forced interactions with tourists, working long days with no time for proper rest, food or water.

The latest research found that 69% of elephants assessed in Thailand’s tourism industry were living in poor or unacceptable conditions. Even activities marketed as “ethical”, such as bathing, feeding and hands-on caretaking, can still involve restraint and control, rather than allowing elephants to simply be elephants.

12/08/2026

Happy World Elephant Day 2026! 🐘

A day for celebrating these incredible creatures and raising awareness for the issues both African and Asian elephants are facing.

Poaching, habitat loss, human-elephant conflict and mistreatment in captivity are just some threats these magnificent beings are subjected to in today's world.

Here is a collection of images showing elephants rescued from captivity who are now free to enjoy their new lives in sanctuary. Free from chains, and abuse.

With thanks to for all the incredible work her and her teams do to help protect Asia's Elephants. And to all the other brilliant conservationists and supporters around the world fighting to end the plight of these incredible animals.

12/08/2026

World Elephant Day 2026...

On a day set up for celebrating and raising awareness about the plight of these beautiful animals, it feels the right time to start sharing the grim reality of what life is like for captive elephants in Asia.

The elephant tourism industry in Asia is incredibly lucrative, competitive, and often misleading for unsuspecting visitors. With the rise of people wanting to have ethical elephant encounters, many camps have rebranded as 'ethical' or 'sanctuaries'. The reality of this is often nothing more than a change of words on their branding.

How To Spot an Ethical Sanctuary:

- No hooks, chains, riding, shows or bathing

- Elephants are able to socialise with one another

- Visitors are instructed to keep safe distances away from the elephants at all times

- Mahouts use positive renenforcment (food) to guide their elephants as opposed to hooks or
beating, and allow them mostly to roam freely

- No forced breeding or training of the elephants

These photos were taken in Thailand and Laos. They offer a brief glimpse into the reality of life for many thousands of elephants across Asia.

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Ban Ta Klang