PHANG NGA, Thailand — A 20-year-old elephant used for tourist rides fatally attacked its handler and injured a foreign visitor after becoming highly agitated during a tour in Phang Nga province. The tragic incident has prompted a massive manhunt by local authorities to locate and subdue the rogue animal before it can cause further harm.

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The fatal mauling occurred in Moo 2 of the Song Phraek subdistrict in Mueang district. The elephant, a male named Plai Thongkham, was carrying two foreign tourists when it reportedly became distressed and attempted to veer into a nearby stream. According to officials, the animal’s mahout, 32-year-old Chaiyan Pradapsri from Prasat district in Surin province, used a handling hook to prevent the elephant from entering the water. This intervention reportedly triggered the animal’s aggressive response.

Witnesses at the scene described a chaotic sequence of events as the distressed elephant first threw one of the tourists from its back. The injured visitor, identified as a 33-year-old man from Oman, was swiftly transported to Phang Nga Hospital for medical treatment. Following the initial ejection, the elephant fled approximately 100 meters from the stream before turning its aggression toward its handler. Plai Thongkham threw Chaiyan to the ground and fatally attacked him using its trunk and feet. Medical responders determined that the mahout suffered extensive fractures and a broken neck from the severe assault.

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Following the attack, the elephant escaped into a nearby forested area. A multi-agency response was immediately initiated at the scene, involving Song Phraek subdistrict headman Boonrong Sawatdichai, officers from the Thung Kha Ngok Police Station, representatives from the Phang Nga Provincial Livestock Office, and forensic physician Dr. Montri Thanakit. While preliminary witness accounts suggest the use of the hook to deny the elephant access to water was the catalyst for the violence, authorities are continuing their investigation to confirm the exact circumstances surrounding the rampage.

The Phang Nga Provincial Livestock Office has since assembled a specialized tracking team equipped with tranquilizer guns and heavy sedatives to locate Plai Thongkham. Officials warn that the elephant remains highly agitated and poses a significant risk to public safety and local residents if not swiftly and safely captured.

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As the search operation continues, local authorities are advising residents in the surrounding forested areas to remain vigilant and report any sightings of the rogue elephant.

-Thailand News (TN)