Bangkok's 'smiling elephant' law

Smiling elephants return to their natural habitat (Amazing Thailand)

Travellers in Thailand are being warned against feeding elephants in the capital city, Bangkok

A new law, known as the ‘Chang Yim’ or ‘Smiling elephant’ law has been passed to encourage the animals and their mahouts, to leave the city for good.
People caught feeding the animals may be fined up to 10,000 Baht (£207) and the mahouts could face a prison sentence of up to six months, if caught in the city.
Bangkok City Hall enforced the law as part of a new campaign to move the elephants to a safer, more natural environment.  Animals that are seized or captured will be moved to provincial elephant conservation centres.
Tourists staying in the city should be careful not in interact with the elephants. If they want to do so, they should visit an official conservation park, in the elephant’s natural habitat; such as the Elephant Nature Park, in Northern Thailand.
Director of Bangkok’s Law Enforcement Department, Manit Techa-apichoke, previously said about 200 elephants were found begging at entertainment venues and nightspots in the city before the BMA issued the ordinance.
The law was enforced in July 2010, so those visiting Bangkok should be aware of the restrictions.

Good for elephants, good for travel

A representative from Cox and Kings, Katie Parsons has said, “We believe that for the safety and welfare of the elephants the new Chang Yim law should be beneficial in discouraging mahouts to bring their elephants into the city. They are primarily taken to tourist hot-spots at night where they are most at risk of being hit by passing traffic.
Tourists should also be discouraged from giving money to the mahouts so that they have less reason to come into the city and we advise against paying to feed or be photographed with the elephants.”