New Year in Thailand: water battles with elephants (Video)
Humans and elephants compete in fierce water battles at the Songkran festival marking the Thai new year.
Wish you good luck with a nice refreshing shower. For the festival of the Lunar New Year or Songkran Thai people take to the streets and make a water balloon with a very special help. Water jets are sprayed from the trunks of elephants.
In the traditional version of the feast, the water has a purifying function and protection against bad luck and was used to wet the images and statues of the Buddha.
Respected tradition, the party starts collectively, also to ward off the heat of the hottest period in south-east Asia.
Video courtesy of TMNews
Please avoid any elephant activities in Thailand. See these youtube videos why;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX7VWC3bJ1Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vB0UELUOvJs
Try see one in wild, in one of many national parks in Thailand
http://www.thainationalparks.com/khao-yai-national-park
http://www.thainationalparks.com/kui-buri-national-park
You could also try Elephant Nature Park as seen in those videos;
http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/
Thanks,