Photos: Thailand elephant camp adds more jumbos as Chinese tourists return

Country's vital tourism sector is seeing a quick rebound after the lifting of restriction

Last updated: January 23, 2023 | 14:27

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Phuket, Thailand: An elephant camp in Thailand has purchased six new jumbos to welcome tourists and returning Chinese visitors, offering activities from elephant rides to elephant showers, the owner said.

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Pang Chang Kamala Elephant Camp on the resort island of Phuket is also adding programmes such as elephant care due to a rise in bookings after the Lunar New Year, camp owner Wittaya Taweeros told Reuters.

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"As the number of tourists has increased, we're ready to welcome them, also with our newly bought elephants," Wittaya said.

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With 25 elephants now, the camp can receive 300 tourists per day, up from 200, he added. Wittaya said he was confident that more tourists will come.

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"We've already got 60% to 70% bookings after the Lunar New Year from the same agent we worked with before the pandemic," he said.

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Thailand's vital tourism sector is seeing a quick rebound after the lifting of COVID restrictions last year, with the government is expecting 25 million foreign visitors in 2023, including five million from China as it reopens.

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A mahout adjusts a chair on top of an elephant while they wait for tourists.

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China's reopening raises hopes for the return of Chinese visitors, who accounted for nearly a third of Thailand's 40 million foreign tourist arrivals in pre-pandemic 2019.

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Elephants are seen waiting for tourists in a jungle park in Phuket, Thailand.

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