Elephants in southern Thailand must do their 'business' on state toilets

Luxury elephant tours in southern Thailand are in jeopardy after local government officials have declared that elephants may no longer foul the main routes used for tourist treks as it is “hazardous to human health”. Instead, elephants will have to do their business on specially-designed toilets scattered along the main tourist trails. We spoke to local elephant keeper Wotsvat Pong who said the custom-built toilets were a real eyesore and expressed concerns at the new restrictions, saying that it would take months to “potty train” all his elephants. He fears that the penalties imposed for fouling the trails are too severe and could put him out of business. He went on to add: “The whole thing is just one big mess.” Government officials were unavailable for comment.

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