Villagers Protest Wildlife Farm Stench, Waste; Officials Cite Permits

Residents in Tha Kham subdistrict, Hat Yai district, Songkhla province have discovered four elephants being kept in a fenced area of about one rai surrounded by a two-meter-high wall. Two of the elephants are chained at the ankles. The property also houses a tiger and a liger — a hybrid of a tiger and a lion — in a large two-story cage. There is an elephant shelter with two calves and a large tent housing two young elephants.

Precha, 70, said that since the wall was built about a year ago to house the four elephants, one tiger, and one liger, his home has become unbearable. During rains, water mixed with elephant dung and urine flows from the enclosure into the drainage canal. When the canal overflows, the contaminated water floods his house on the opposite side. The elephant waste also produces a strong stench, and some dung has been dumped in a nearby rubber plantation, worsening the smell. He says no one has ever come to inspect the problems caused by keeping these animals, and his complaints to the village head have gone unresolved.

The loud noises from the elephants disturb the community. The enclosure is considered unsanitary because sand is brought in for the elephants to defecate on. Villagers fear that if an elephant goes into musth, the chains will not hold and the animal could escape and harm residents. They want the facility relocated.

Former Senator Pichet Phattanachot, speaking as a local resident, said villagers initially had no objections, but problems began in the rainy season when soil and sand were added to raise the ground level, causing elephant waste to flow into water sources. All four elephants are tightly chained, which the mahouts claim prevents escape during musth, but Pichet calls this animal cruelty.

Officials from the Conservation Area Management Office 6 (Songkhla) confirmed they have inspected the site. The liger owner holds a valid permit under the law. However, the tiger owner has been charged with possessing protected wildlife without permission, and legal proceedings are underway. The owner has one year to appeal; if no appeal is filed or the court dismisses it, officials will seize the animal for care at a breeding station. The tiger and liger enclosures were found to comply with Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation regulations.

Regarding safety concerns, officials said that if the community expresses fear or dissatisfaction, the owner cannot obtain a permit for controlled animals under the regulations. The owner must first reach an understanding with local residents, and if the community does not consent, a permit will not be granted. Officials noted they previously spoke with villagers, who raised no objections at the time.

The four elephants are classified as beasts of burden under the law and therefore do not fall under the direct authority of the Department of National Parks.