Comments on: Chang Yim-Smiling Elephant Project

By: Viv Lanting

Viv Lanting — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:12:57 +0000

Hi Talen….We have been to the Elephant Nature Park and had a wonderful and inspiring time there with the happy and free eles. Jack made friends with a 54 year old elephant named Lily….they were insperable. Jack has been fundraising to save an elephant off the streets to donate to the ENP since our return home nearly a year ago and he has so far raised $6,500NZ. We share a facebook page under my name where we try to educate people about the plight of Thailand’s elephants…and Jack also has a group page called Help Jack Save Abused Elephants in Thailand.

Cheers Viv Lanting

By: janette collins

janette collins — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:00:28 +0000

Thank you to the dedicated and caring people who are responsible for the success of the Chang-Yim Smiling Elephant project.
Elephants need champions to fight for a better life for them and their babies and families….having such a wonderful animal as part of the Thai culture is a gift to be cherished and appreciated..it is wonderful that Thailand can help lead the way to a better world for elephants..Thank you for your compassion.

By: Talen

Talen — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 04:27:42 +0000

Jack and Viv, Thailand is finally trying to move in the right direction in protecting their national treasure. Aside from the Smiling Elephant project there are various other charities helping to buy elephants off the streets and give them a home in a more suitable natural habitat.

You might also want to check out the Friends of the Asian Elephant and The Elephant nature foundation.

And Jack, I have felt the same way after walking the streets of Bangkok for a day and if you are right that if are bothered by all the noise, smog and broken sidewalks then it is no place for baby elephants.

Thank you both for stopping by and adding your two cents.

By: Viv Lanting

Viv Lanting — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:37:34 +0000

To the wonderful people at Chang Yim – Smiling Elephant Project….thank you so much for the work you are doing. Congratulations on saving Pang Bua Kham…with all my heart I want you to succeed in your goal of rescuing all the elephants on Bangkok’s streets….then hopefully throughout Thailand. Keep up your fantastic work – you have done your country proud.

Thank you for standing up for your eles. XXXXXXX

By: Jack Lanting

Jack Lanting — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:30:12 +0000

My name is Jack and I am 9. I didn’t like seeing baby elephants on the streets when I was in Thailand last year. My eyes were hurting and red and it was so hot and noisy and my ears where ringing when I got back to our quiet hotel room. If that happens to me in 1 day, I know a baby elephant having to do this everyday would be really sad and sore and with such big ears the loud sounds must be even louder to them. Thailand has to make the mahouts jobs somewhere else so the elephants can be safe and happy. I would be proud of Thailand if they did that. I am proud and very happy about what Smiling Elephants has done for Pang Bua Kham. Love From Jack.

By: Talen

Talen — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:41:52 +0000

Xinning, That is awesome. I have another upcoming post on the Asian Elephant and I will make sure to let my readers know all about the Street Elephants Alert Project.

By: Xinning

Xinning — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:49:39 +0000

Dear all,

This is our website: http://streetelephantsalert.weebly.com

Thank you.

By: Xinning

Xinning — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:43:46 +0000

Dear everyone,

I just want to introduce a project I’m currently involved in called the “Street Elephants Alert” (SEA) project.

Our project (SEA) promotes and supports the Thai laws against the cruelty of elephants being made to beg on the streets in the cities. Our main objective is to raise awareness of the problems of these elephants to the Thai community, so that they could help sick elephants that encounter city accidents. We also want citizens to think twice before feeding the street elephants because this will lead to even more elephants being forced to beg on the streets. Most importantly, we are part of the Thai Government’s Chang Yim project. We have donated a sum of money to their project to support their funding of reallocating elephants from the cities back to the wild in June 2010.

Thanks for reading.
If anyone is interested in finding out more about helping these elephants, please visit our website.

By: The Eyes of Thailand | Thailand Land of Smiles

The Eyes of Thailand | Thailand Land of Smiles — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 01:11:48 +0000

[...] numbers decline just as dramatically. Recently the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration set up the Chang Yim ( Smiling Elephant ) project to begin buying and removing these gentle beasts from Bangkok streets and from Mahouts that often [...]

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:19:16 +0000

Hi Talen, I’m writing from Elephant News. We run a weekly round-up of elephant conservation news and are this week looking at the new regulations being brought in to tackle Bangkok’s mahout problem. I am aware that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration have tried on a number of occasions previously to tackle this problem, but have failed due to a lack of authority to seize the elephants, a lack of places to house the freed animals and the disbandment of units set up to take action against the mahouts. Are you confident that they will have more success this time with their Smiling Elephants project? And if so, why? Also, why do you think it is important for the elephants to be registered at birth rather than at eight year’s old as they are currently? Kind regards, Jo-ann