The "Elephant", a wild animal domesticated and trained by humans for labor over a long period, has decreased its labor usage due to modern equipment. However, the connection and knowledge of caring for elephants are still embedded in Thai people. This is evident in Surin province, where a group of elephant keepers called "Kuy people" have mastered the art of elephant taming passed down from generation to generation. This takes place at the "Elephant Study Center" or the "Elephant Kingdom", the largest elephant sanctuary in the world.
For the Elephant Kingdom project in Surin Province, supervised by the Zoological Park Organization under the royal patronage, it serves as a tourist destination for elephant lovers. Here, traditions and faiths are preserved, including the "Pakam Shrine" ceremony. Pakam Shrine is perceived as the spiritual place for ancestors and Pakam spirits, according to Kuy beliefs. The Pakam spirit worship is a traditional ceremony conducted by senior elephant trainers, inviting the spirits of ancestors and Pakam to receive offerings and blessings for fortune in their ventures and achieving desired results. Tourists who are interested in conservation-based tourism can relax amidst nature, interact with over 200 elephants through various half-day, full-day, and 2-day 1-night activities. This includes paying respects at the Pakam Shrine, revered by elephant ceremony performers, strolling through the elephant village to help with elephants' bathing, and another highlight activity that has attracted the interest of foreign tourists, riding elephants to explore nature and bathing them in the Chi River.
Tourists interested in conservation-based tourism of the Elephant Kingdom project can contact the Elephant Kingdom project in Surin Province at Tel. +664 4558 501.
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