Surin, Thailand: Introduction
I am clearly a bad blogger. I take the biggest trip of my life and it takes me a long ass time to actually post it. I will admit that I took the easy route by posting my Ohio posts and my future plans to Dublin with my family first. They were quick and effortless. Bangkok was a struggle, but that was because I didn’t focus on what I was set out to do – I was too focused on Stranger Things and Mindhunter! While those shows were amazing (and you should watch them), I won’t get that time back to write my posts.
So, here I am. In a random Starbucks in Virginia. Like I am back in college, studying for exams or cranking out a paper last minute. I did get me some coffee, so my volleyball team should expect a space cadet tonight on the court. When your setter asks “what just happened?” and you respond with “I am not even sure what is happening right now” – like I was on some psychedelic trip – I know coffee might not be my #1 friend. But HEY! I got to get shit done. So here goes 
It’s been over a month since I’ve gone and came from Thailand. But given the recent events of lifting the ban on elephant trophy hunting (and then reversing the decision), I figured it was time to post my adventure. I know the pictures won’t do the experience justice, but I’m hoping those who read can appreciate the gentle giants that I had the opportunity to care for and love on for a week.
After our 2.5 day stint in Bangkok, JM and I met Sey and two of our fellow volunteers at the Bangkok bus station. Sey was originally from the Chiang Mai elephant project, but he was on rotation at Surin. So, we all jumped on a bus, and then a van, with our funky Dunkin Donuts, for a six hour trip to a small village outside of Surin. While the project is called the Surin Project, we weren’t technically in Surin. (It took me a few days to realize that! Ha.)
So, what is Surin Project?
– Surin Project was created to help and protect elephants.
– Surin is an off set of the Elephant Nature Park (ENP), which is in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
– ENP has like 70+ elephants that are never chained and get to roam the lands free on the park.
– Surin had 8 elephants when we went, but has had up to 15 once.
– While on the project, elephants are nurtured and taken really good care of (not abused by hooks, beatings, chained up or put into exploitation).
– I believe they need to be chained at night, to avoid running away or rampaging through the village.
– They are fed well and walked. Volunteers clean their forest, plant seed, build enclosures, cut sugar cane and bathe them in the river.
If you read the Surin Project website, you will learn a lot. I thought about copying and pasting the “objective”, but it is a mouth full. You can also tell it was written with broken English, probably by Ocho – haha. Funny guy! But in a nutshell, the projects are to bring awareness about the Asian elephants to both volunteers and the village community. The further you read down the page, you find out that the elephants on the project are not owned or bought by the project. The project works along side the owners and provide the mahouts a weekly salary. This way the mahouts are involved directly one-on-one with the elephant they are taking care, and expected to take care of their elephant, while maintaining a steady income. They are required to punch in, with a punch-in clock/pay-stub, and work their 8 hours with their elephants and volunteers.
What is a mahout?
Mahouts are essentially the elephant “handlers”. They tend to their elephant as needed and put up with all the good and “bad” things their elephant has to offer. The interactions alone between mahout and elephant is something to see with your own eyes. The connection. The bond! Especially the ones who have been with their elephant from the beginning. It warms my heart to think about the love the mahouts have for their elephant…and the elephant for their mahout.
Okay, enough about the “need to knows” of my trip. I feel like some of that needed to be explained before going through the adventure. Because there was so much to share from our Thailand trip, I have broken down my trip into a number of different posts. Mini-series, if you will. Believe me, this was not my original thought for this post, but it is clear that it needs to be divided into different ones – before you and me get overwhelmed with the length!
FAQ’s:
– Did you ride an elephant? The answer is “NO!” We did not ride any elephants. That is the exploitation I was referring to – rides, circuses, public entertainment. The objective of this project, and ENP, is to protect these beautiful creatures from such forms of exploitation and not treat them like property. In fact, some of them may have actually come from that, but are now seeking “refuge” on the project – by keeping fit on walks, well fed and loved on by mahouts and volunteers alike.
– What was the project you went on? Surin Project http://surinproject.
– What was the best part of your trip? Interacting with the baby elephant.
Kop Koon Kha (Thank you). Stay tuned for my next post!
Additional Thailand posts include:
Elephants (coming soon)