And though they're not nocturnal animals, nature did equip the dark gray elephant with the perfect coloring to blend into the concrete jungle at night. Unfortunately, nature didn't give the elephant head lamps or tail lights. Taking sympathy on the plight of elephants in the city, the Bangkok administration banned elephants from the city a few years ago. However, mahouts continue to come into the city in search of work or handouts. Although man may have tamed the elephant, we shouldn't forget that we haven't domesticated them.
Elephants belong in the wild, or at least in the forests.
For those animals already taken from the wild, it seems the best place for them is the elephant camps of the North, which mostly exist for the benefit of tourists these days. At places such as the Pang camp in the Mae Rim valley near Chiang Mai you can see the beasts demonstrate their skills, which they sometimes seem to enjoy almost as much as the tourists enjoy watching it. After the show, you can book an elephant for your own tour. Anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or more. Although you should be warned that the rocking motion of an elephant's back is not the most comfortable ride there is.