I Have Not Read About This In The Thai Press,

but I may have missed it, it is now illegal for tourists to feed elephants on the streets of Bangkok, mahouts – as elephant handlers are known – and their accomplices were fined for bringing an elephant into Bangkok, but those feeding the animal escaped punishment, typically a tourist would pay 20 baht (£0.41) for the privilege of handing a bunch of fruit or vegetables into the elephant's trunk, I have to admit when I first came to Thailand I did feed an elephant in the street some sugar cane, it seemed great fun in those days, little did I know the harm I was doing, "The ordinance is issued to prevent untidiness or danger toward properties and lives of Bangkok residents," said Manit Techa-apichoke, deputy director of the City Law Enforcement Department, adding there had been cases of elephants hurting people and falling into drains, well I can understand that, every week so many people fall into drains over here, Friends of the Asian Elephant, a Thai nongovernment group which cares for injured or mistreated elephants, called the fines a good start, all very well and good, but it still does not address the problem that there are to many elephants and not enough jobs for them, but hopefully when this law starts to take effect the fines will go to the elephants and the mahouts who look after the Kingdoms National symbol.