Elephant Kraal & Village - Ayutthaya Thailand 2023

The Royal Elephant Kraal & Village was established in 1996, and is home to 90 elephants. Today a world heritage site, the Royal Elephant Kraal is steeped in elephant history. It dates back to the 16th century and was historically a compound where wild elephants were captured and kept.

For hundreds of years the Kings of Thailand would attend the Royal Elephant Round Up and choose the best and strongest elephants that would work and live alongside the Thai people, and be used for labor or the military. The last annual roundup from the wild was in 1906, a spectacular display and testament to the King's power and skills of the mahouts.

The term "kraal" means "an enclosure into which are driven wild elephants which are to be tamed and educated.

War Elephants Monument

There are four large bronze monuments that feature Burmese war elephants in full battle gear with armed mahouts beside them. They are oriented toward each cardinal direction. The monuments are all cast to actual size.

These monuments were originally located at Thung Makham Yong battlefield as a part of the Queen Suriyothai Monument.

They were molded after the Second World War by esteemed artist, Khun Khaimuk Chuto. The four monuments resided at Phaniat elephant
kraal until they were moved to this current location.

The monuments are located north of the main island, adjacent to the park in front of Phaniat Palace.

The Elephant Kraal

The Elephant Kraal is located off the City Island along the west bank of the new Lopburi River in the northeastern area in Suan Phrik Sub-district. The elephant kraal of Ayutthaya is the only one left in Thailand and is located 4 Km northeast of the City. The area was called in earlier times Thamle Ya or the "grass locality", as the whole area was as a large grass field. In its immediate vicinity are the War Elephants Monument, the Phaniat Palace and an Old Kiln are situated.

The outlook from the Khocha Prawet Maha Prasat pavilion, from where the kings watched the elephant trapping ceremony, is a big cage surrounded with logs having; from the front center, fencing lines of 45 degrees spread out to both sides far away into the former jungle area.

The kraal dates back to the 16th century, when King Maha Thammaracha after the first fall of Ayutthaya in 1569, moved the old elephant kraal near Wat Song to the present site; a time when elephants were not only caught and trained for work and transport but were used for warfare.

Tamnak Phaniat

Tamnak Phaniat is a two story structure designed in a western architectural style and built in the Ratanakosin period (post 1782 AD). The brick building is “L” shaped with a front balcony.

This pavilion was built in the reign of King Rama V to be the residence of Prince Krom Phraya Bamrab Porapak when he was appointed to restore the area of Phaniat. The present pavilion was constructed on the old tamnak where Prince Thepphonphak (กรมหลวงเทพพลภักดิ์) resided when designated to lead the restoration works at Phaniat in the reign of King Rama II and to supervise the elephant roundups at that time.

The pavilion was abandoned after the last elephant round up in the beginning of the 20th century.

This area is away from the busy tourist areas in the city. It’s a nice break from the temple ruins.

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