There are about 10 Thai elephants still living abroad, but they are not likely to be brought back home because they were donated by the Thai government as goodwill ambassadors, according to Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Varawut Silpa-archa.
He said that Thailand stopped sending Thai elephants to other countries about three years ago, following protests from environmental groups.
Besides Sak Surin, which is scheduled to be flown back on July 1st, there are two more Thai elephants in Sri Lanka, but they are in good shape and are unlikely to be repatriated. The total costs for repatriating Sak Surin are estimated at about 20 million baht, including the cost of sending vets to treat the elephant, the building of a special transport cage and chartering flights.
Thailand banned the export of elephants in 2009 but, in 2019, the Thai Foreign Trade Department proposed a revival of elephant exports, prompting protests from wildlife conservation groups such as Watchdog Thailand.
According to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Animals and Plants (CITES), elephants are considered an endangered species and trading of them is banned, unless they are donated as a goodwill gesture or for research.
Meanwhile, Rungnapar Pattanavibool, deputy director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, said the department will monitor the conditions of the remaining Thai elephants abroad adding, however, that they will not seek their repatriation.
On May 26th, 2016, a 69-year-old Thai elephant, Hanako, donated to Japan in 1949, died of old age, causing sadness in Japan.
