Locals and tourists treasure Thai elephants. Elephants have played an important role in Thailand's history, culture and Economy. Wild elephants were once captured and trained for battle and the Thai capital of Ayutthaya once had an army of 700 elephants. In modern times, kings and royals rode on elephants while hunting and elephants provided the main work force in logging teak. Elephants are also the major means of transportation for tourists and can be even trained to give a massage with their trunk or foot. There are special elephant trainers and elephant camps in Thailand, where baby elephants are trained to these various tasks from four years of age. Elephants are an important part of Thai culture and Thai way of life. They are traditional symbol of royal power, an essential feature of Buddhist art and architecture and an interesting means of transportation. Taking into account how diversely elephants relate to the Thai culture, no one should be surprised to see elephants everywhere in Thailand.
