Mr & Mrs – A blog of our round the world trip travelling through South America and South East Asia » Gallery: The Tourist marvel that is the Surin Elephant Roundup!

Gallery: The Tourist marvel that is the Surin Elephant Roundup!

Posted by Steve on December 20, 2009, at 6:38 am | Category: Photos, Thailand | Leave a comment

On our way out we were kidnapped by school kids interviewing farangs for their school project. A friendly bunch, we were even given a present to say thanks for participating!

Our arrival in Thailand conveniently (and completely unintentionally) coincided with the annual Surin Elephant Roundup, a huge event for the area apparently. A chance to see some local excitement and our first elephants outside of a zoo sucked us across to East Thailand to Surin in our first Thai train, armed with nothing more than our guidebook and a smile. On our way we met a documentary crew hoping to scratch the festival’s surface, discovered why Wikipedia describes Surin as having a ‘substantial population of expatriate westerners married to local women’, and saw an elephant commit a blatant ‘trunk-ball’ without even receiving a yellow card.

Note: 1 GBP = ~55 Thai Baht at time of writing.

Waiting for our first Thai train in Bangkok train station! The King is everywhere!

We’d booked our 600B each sleeper train ticket from Bangkok to Surin online, apparently a new service that worked surprisingly well and gave some reassurance before we’d even arrived in the country. My attempt to reserve a hotel room for during the festival fared less well, I distinctly remember Lynette failing to stifle a fit of giggles in an Internet cafe in Goa, where after a few false starts found one hotel with a room left, only to be told I couldn’t reserve it. But they’d make sure they had space for when we arrived. But we couldn’t reserve it. At the time, I’d left my name with the resigned knowledge that it certainly hadn’t been written down. So far though, we had a 100% success rate on managing to find a room on arrival – a record we’d rather not break.

A brief interlude with a smattering of campness.

The train itself was surprisingly great; most people we meet complain about them but in honesty we were surprised to find it mostly superior to India’s trains with more room, better blankets and good pillows. Two to a berth, with seats facing each other which later turn to a bed while a second bed then folds out from the ceiling. The same merry folk will trundle up and down the aisle selling food and drink so don’t fret about grabbing things in advance. We slept relatively well, bar a few welcome break downs that meant we arrived in Surin at the friendly time of 6am, rather than the dark hours of four in the morning.

And then the next day! The documentary film are also present at the actual Elephant show itself…

One chance meeting had cast a strange shadow over the trip. Before we’d left, I’d googled animal welfare and the Elephant Roundup, and had found a site that recommended the festival as an example of how well they are cared for. Not having the time to dig much further, I’d left it at that and hurried out of the Cafe. However, in Bangkok train station we noticed a guy filming a couple looking at the train timetable. Nosey as ever, we asked if he was filming about travelling and the festival, he said yes, but you could tell there was more that he couldn’t say. A friendly chap, our google search came out in conversation and he looked relieved, apparently our concerns on animal welfare were well founded and this was the reason they were filming a documentary. We went our separate ways, suddenly with unwelcome food for thought. Previously we had just been going to witness the strength and intelligence of animals at their finest, now perhaps we were fanning the flames of elephant cruelty just by attending. This didn’t sit well, so we stowed the thoughts away for later and board the train – a small part wishing we’d never met the guy!

Finally! The start of the elephant procession…

On arrival we stumbled out on to the platform scratching the sleepy gunk out of our eyes we somehow stumbled into ‘The Farang Connection’ group, a local pub with an expat forum that I’d used for some of our research into the festival itself. One man was attempting to herd the tourists towards taxis, people he’d booked tickets and hotels for, and he suggested he might have another room available somewhere. Spotting a smooth arrival, we took his offer of a free taxi to his pub while he sorted out the hotel room, and settled down to a decent Full English breakfast. He managed to also arrange tickets for the festival we didn’t even know we needed, and the decent enough room at Anmarin Hotel only cost us 300B a night, not bad when everyone else had been threatening us with 1,000B! Not to say he did all this with a smile, and we did feel sorry for one French women who’d obviously changed her plans with him one time to many, as then tore several strips off her in the middle of this pub before telling her to bugger off. Not stereotyping too much, but to be fair the majority of retired pub-going expats can be right grumpy bastards.

Looking up the line of fruitand goodies that is about to be decimated by a herd of elephants.

Having dumped bags in the hotel foyer, we quickly trundled through Surin town towards the start of the Roundup itself, the Elephant’s buffet. Street stalls neatly lined with fruit and bamboo ready to be torn apart in a tornado of tusk and trumpets. It was eerily silent, until as we got closer and our ears started to cower to the unrelenting beat of Thai classical music, the first we’d heard. Crowds of people of milled around, mainly Americans, while Thai dancing and local winners of beauty pageants attracted a blizzard of camera flashes from the tourist mob. In traditional Thai fashion, this went on for about an hour past the announced start time of the procession, with various speeches and accompanied American translating breaking up the strangely hypnotic music. We’d managed to squeeze ourselves onto a small monument smack in the middle of the procession’s start and hopefully a great view, when the elephants began to march in.

The elephants then dug in, there was some mention of a competition to see what they could carry, but as elephants eat up to 300Kg a day, they were mainly content to stuff their faces.

Huge, lumbering beasts weighing up to and over five metric tonnes plodded heavily into view while the American announcer screamed at everyone to clear the area. They were followed by a big percussion band, although in fairness we didn’t really notice them arrive as we were fascinated by the huge grey trunks gobbling up every bit of food in sight. Apparently they can eat up to 300Kg of food a day, and up to 100 litres of water, usually in a single sitting. Plus when there are small baby ones around they look really cute and you can’t help but point and coo. The elephants continued to arrive in various shapes and sizes, and before long all pretence of organisation had disappeared as around a hundred of the colossal pachyderms were stomping around the place while swarms of comparatively minute (and easily squashable) tourists squeezed in between attempting to get the best photo. Nobody died, it was a great success.

Another dance kicking off, the dance and outfits were amazing, as was their ability to hold a fixed smile.

The morning done, we wandered around the town for the afternoon, picking up various necessities and booking our tickets for the Light and Sound show that evening. We’d meant to catch up sleep at some point, normally never happens though and today was no different. Trying more Thai food in different establishments to get a feel for what to expect varied from watery noodles served with giant crackers in a dingy tea towel tablecloth cafe to fearful pointing at street food in an attempt to at first identify and then digest unknown lumps on a stick. We didn’t go too hungry, and each step is one closer to identifying your favourite previously unknown food, which is always a happy moment. Personally, I’ve now become a great fan of Pad Thai, a kind of fried noodles and peanut dish that takes about five minutes to cook. More on that another time!

Later that evening we attended the famous Light and Sound show 0of Prasat Sikhoraphum.

At 17:30 we piled into a bus outside the train station to visit Prasat Sikhoraphum, the setting for the allegedly magical Light & Sound show. Not really sure what to expect, on arrival the bus doors opened to possibly the most developed tourist attraction around an ancient temple we’ve seen to date. Variously coloured and constantly roving spotlights lit up the temple and speared the night sky, while Chinese lanterns drifted lazily upward and smoke machines created a magical canvas of haze for the lights to illuminate. Dancers and food stalls were liberally sprinkled around the entrance, we bought some spring rolls, picked up our free sandwich and fizzy pop before sitting down on our plastic garden seats in front of the ancient stage.

The show had a distinct tribal theme to it…

Over the next four gradually colder hours we were treated to displays varying from the naff to the point of hilarious (four elderly gentleman tinking on Thai xylophones, while an errant child ran playfully around the stage only stopping to give each musician a quick hug – his mother later kidnapped him back to his seat), through the bizarre (a ten year old girl in school uniform surrounded by classically dressed younger dancers all basically being odd), to the contemporary (models adorned with the famous Surin silk parading up and down the red carpet cat walk) and finally to the historical show piece of the night (A King, Queen and their loyal subjects acting out ancient stories that frankly remained an untranslated mystery to us but usually involving Ram Thai classical dance). A protracted, slightly cold but enjoyable evening, when we finally arrived back at the hotel it didn’t take long for us to pass out.

Next begins the parade of the elephants with their handlers astride.

The next day we started our long walk to the stadium for 08:00, where the final elephant exhibition was due to take place. Almost sprinting, not wanting to be late and having skipped breakfast to be there, we were a little put out when in another famous Thai tradition they started about two hours late. We found coffee and sat down, with no sun in our eyes which was great, but with no sun on our bodies which was again freezing. Dressing for Thai weather is obviously an acquired skill, in the cooler months the sun remains blazing, but the shade is like a cold plunge when you’re in shorts and Havaianas.

In case we’d missed them, the dancers were back! In force! In daylight! In head pieces!

Eventually things got going, and again various set pieces went through the motions in a massive field about ten football pitches in size. Elephant parades and the Roundup itself (Three hundred elephants and their handlers milling around the field), yet more Ram Thai dance carefully dodging elephant dung (this time with enough dancers to impressively fill the entire field), elephant tricks such as throwing darts, painting trees on t-shirts or standing on stools (their brain is the largest of any land mammal. Looked a little demeaning.), and elephant football. Funnily the football we expected to b e the most exploitative, but they were surprisingly skilful and genuinely seemed to be enjoying themselves. The penultimate set piece was a battle re-enactment with the central two elephants battling against each other, complete with cannon explosions and the clash of sword fight. Finally the entire cast of the event filled the field for the King’s anthem and a spot of prayer. It had been an experience, not necessarily the highlight of our trip but certainly different.

A whole lot of elephants leaves a whole lot of dung.

Without preaching too much, I’m going to write down a couple of thoughts that were prompted by our conversation with the documentary crew. I’m not writing conclusions as we haven’t reached any. Their main issue was the welfare and freedom of the elephants, and the process they went through to be trained to work with their handlers. Lynette and I drew parallels with the breaking in of a horse, which I have no issue with and my sisters certainly don’t. This is more relevant when the elephants were necessary for hard labour and war, which is not so necessary now, so tourism (and the Roundup) has become a big reason for their captivity. Then you must ask; is captivity withholding the freedom of this naturally wild animal or protecting the numbers of this endangered Asian Elephant species? At what point does it become ok for an animal to become a domesticated pet, such as a cat or dog, but not for an Elephant to roam around your front room? Should an animal pay for its protected surroundings, or is tourist exploitation just wrong? Are some documentaries the creation of sensationalist media to sell, or a necessary information feed to publicise the travesties that occur across the world?

The entire ensemble arrives and pays tribute in the closing minutes.

The answer to none of these questions is clear cut, but attending the Surin Elephant Roundup has certainly made me ask them, and since Lynette and I have interacted with animals in so many different ways on our trip (working with them, fishing for them, riding them, spotting them, protecting them and more) we know how many different ways the human/animal relationship can present itself. I can list tens of different apparently similar animal tourist attractions that all represent different interests for both parties. No more typing on this subject now, but it is important to think about those interests the next time you are paying for something that has an animal as the central star.

Allegedly intense rivalry exists when it comes to elephant soccer, and the pachyderms did genuinely seem to be enjoying it.

Anyway, moving on, we later took a very cheap (36B) but very slow and mosquito filled train from Surin to Khorat, on the way a mum introduced me to her daughters but was then quickly introduced to my wife, and we nearly boarded the completely wrong train (right time, both had been late) which would have not been hilarious (it was the same Thai mum that rescued us!). We stayed in the excellent Siri Hotel overnight (500B, double room, AC, Wi-Fi, breakfast, private bath) before taking a bus to Khao Yai National Park, our next stop. Surin had been an experience, and a pleasant one, if a little different from everything else to date. Next stop, monkeys that don’t throw darts or draw on t-shirts for money!

Dancing in a Thai Temple and the Surin Elephant Festival Our weekend in Surin attending the famous Elephant Roundup, with a classical dance display and silk fashion show at a temple squeezed in!
This lady remained a fixed statue on the catwalk throughout the entire show…	Lynette loved this outfit, I mourned the unecessary loss of blackbirds.	An entire royal ensemble took to the stage in a variety of outfits. They must have been freezing!	These traditional head pieces were absolutely stunning, and explained the slowly slowly approach to Thai dance.	Here comes the king! Long live the king!
Where the King goes, the Queen will follow.	The locals were not going to miss a single second of this show, aiming to catch every split second with a lightning storm of camera flash.	Next begins the parade of the elephants with their handlers astride.	There were around 280 elephants in the field at this point…	Some people believe 280 elephants sitting down at once in Thailand caused the blackout.
Two old friends catch up on recent watering hole developments. And the increasing weight of their owners.	Dumbo wasn’t sure that this event was doing much for his street cred.	A whole lot of elephants leaves a whole lot of dung.	A field scattered with elephant dung tends to put these girls off…	We’re really not sure what this presented, it looks like a husband beating variant of Muay Thai.
They obviously ran out of girls at some point…	On to the alleged highlight of the show, the elephant’s tricks.	These T-shirts were being sold at 300B each, or £6.	One elephant versus forty people in a tug of war…	The elephant might be struggling…
But not really. They never had a chance in this battle of strength.	Finally a game of football between two different elephant rearing villages.	Allegedly intense rivalry exists when it comes to elephant soccer, and the pachyderms did genuinely seem to be enjoying it.	The baby elephant makes an appearance again…	The mammals are huge, weighing up to 5,400Kg (about five Minis).
The start of a battle reenactment, again the relevant translation eludes us.	In strides the army and its proud elephant warriors in full battle dress.	After a decent shot at a mass sword fight between the two armies, it is decided that the battle be decided by a fight between the two elephants and their masters.	The flag held aloft the victorious party lives to fight again.	A ceremonious homage to the King at the end of the display.
	Have no fear, there’s always time for a bit more Thai classical dance.	The entire ensemble arrives and pays tribute in the closing minutes.	Waiting for our first Thai train in Bangkok train station! The King is everywhere!	The elephants then dug in, there was some mention of a competition to see what they could carry, but as elephants eat up to 300Kg a day, they were mainly content to stuff their faces.
The show had a distinct tribal theme to it…	A more classic look.	The models moodily standing in front of the five 3,500 year old prangs.	Lynette grabbing a quick photo opportunity with Dumbo the Great!	On our way out we were kidnapped by school kids interviewing farangs for their school project. A friendly bunch, we were even given a present to say thanks for participating!
Looking up the line of fruitand goodies that is about to be decimated by a herd of elephants.	Not sure who she is, but everybody was very keen to take a photo. When you can’t beat them…	Again, the mysterious but beautiful Thai writing eludes understanding but it was very important to all the festival goers.	Our first demonstration of classic Thai dance, complete with singing duet.	He was a very confident singer, but we won’t be buying his album.
They are multiplying! Perhaps applicants for Miss Surin?	Another dance kicking off, the dance and outfits were amazing, as was their ability to hold a fixed smile.	Finally! The start of the elephant procession…	Followed by the obligatory brass band!	It was great to see them up close and personal, all shapes and sizes.
The local tribesman in hunter garb; the Elephant Roundup has progressively increased in size as the commercial need for elephants has declined.	This group were filming a documentary on the welfare of elephants, and were concerned that the Roundup wasn’t as beneifical to the elephants as was suggested.	It is believed that elephants have over forty thousand muscles in their trunk, enabling them to pick a blade of grass or rip the branches from a tree.	They are also rewarded for keeping their owners fed!	One of the final opening ceremonies for the Elephant Roundup
More of the Elephant Roundup	I don’t think they’ve spotted me yet…	Mother and baby consoling each other in the middle of the herd of people…	Rides were available for those willing to pay.	Finally, the last pineapple has been pulped and the elephants head off to their next appointment.
Just enough time to squeeze in one last classical dance…	The smiles are held in place with prosthetics and denture fixative.	Big Fred had embarrassingly stuck his foot in an open manhole, and Ellie wasn’t leaving without him.	Later that evening we attended the famous Light and Sound show 0of Prasat Sikhoraphum.	Each and every sequence was quite manic, but this topped the bill.
Followed by some excellent slow Thai classical dance…	With a flourish and several forgettable acts later, the start of the Silk fashion show began.	The first model in stunning blue Surin Silk…	Toto had left his horse around here somewhere…	Finally the show piece procession.
Everyone finally assembled on the stage, ready to strut their historical stuff.	We’re still not clear which period is being enacted, but there was much introduction and rumbling thunder before they got started.	Striking the many armed pose of Shiva.	A more sedate approach to an already relaxed dance on a rapidly freezing night in Thailand…	A brief interlude with a smattering of campness.
And then the next day! The documentary film are also present at the actual Elephant show itself…	The mayor of Surin enjoying his rather long (and untranslated) moment in the limelight…	Dumbo the Great even makes an appearance!	The elder of the one of the tribes that has brought the elephants today.	In case we’d missed them, the dancers were back! In force! In daylight! In head pieces!
And this time… even the elephants know the moves…