In the post-pandemic era, Thailand, as one of the first destinations for outbound Chinese travelers, is witnessing an increasing influx of Chinese visitors. Yet, despite the annual arrival of thousands of Chinese tourists in Thailand, few have ventured to Surin Province, the land of elephants.

Situated 457 kilometers from Bangkok, Surin has been renowned since ancient times for its expertise in elephant taming. The province hosts a distinctive traditional festival that has spanned over sixty years, and the stars of the show are not the tourists but the elephants. Since 1960, Surin has celebrated the grand Elephant Festival every November, attracting a magnificent gathering of two to three hundred elephants, forming a spectacular kingdom of these gentle giants.

One of the highlights is witnessing the grand spectacle of the self-service breakfast for elephants: a table stretching over a kilometer laden with tons of sugarcane, bananas, papayas, sweet potatoes, taro, and other delectable treats for the elephants to help themselves. In ancient times, elephants served as both daily means of transportation and the mainstay for charging into battle, carrying warriors. With strength and elegance embodied, elephants have become a national treasure and cultural symbol deeply ingrained in Thailand’s cultural heritage. Today, due to over-hunting, Thailand’s elephants are facing a precarious situation, with only about 3,000 remaining in the wild.

The Elephant Festival was established to express gratitude to these magnificent creatures, instilling awareness among the people to protect and preserve elephant culture. During the festival, there are elephant parades where dozens of elegantly adorned elephants march into the square, captivating onlookers with their charming movements. Visitors not only have the opportunity to feed, walk, and bathe elephants but also to taste the renowned elephant dung coffee—a close encounter surely etched into one’s memory for a lifetime.