Trunk and disorderly! Reckless tourist fined for wild elephant selfie

Bob Scott3 weeks agoLast Updated: Thursday, May 8, 2025

145 1 minute read

Trunk and disorderly! Reckless tourist fined for wild elephant selfie — Picture courtesy of Channel 7

A gung-ho tourist has been slapped with a fine after dangerously cosying up to a wild elephant in Khao Yai National Park, just months after another man was trunked off a moving pickup by a jumbo with attitude.

The tourist travelling from Thailand’s eastern region to Khao Yai National Park yesterday, May 7, got far too close for comfort when he and his entourage stopped to snap selfies with a wild elephant casually strolling along the road.

Instead of admiring from afar, the thrill-seeker and his fans brazenly stepped out to pose just metres from the enormous beast, flouting national park safety rules.

Channel 7 reported that park rangers weren’t amused and the tourist was fined 500 baht the next day before being released with a stern warning not to risk becoming elephant fodder again.

Sarut Phiraksa, assistant chief of Khao Yai National Park, issued a reminder to the public.

“If you encounter an elephant, please stay at least 50 metres away and wait for an official. Getting close puts yourself and others in serious danger.”

He added that parking on the roadside to get closer to wildlife is also strictly prohibited, as both shoulders of the road are off-limits due to safety concerns.

“There are currently many visitors and elephant enthusiasts. Please don’t take close-up pictures of wild elephants. This kind of behaviour endangers lives. We want everyone to enjoy the park safely and happily.

This isn’t the first time tourists have underestimated Thailand’s mighty jumbos.

Just a couple of months ago, an irate elephant made headlines when it flung a Thai man, Chaiwat Harnwichian, clean off the back of a pickup truck on Hua Hin’s Pala-U Road. The drama, caught on video, quickly went viral.

The footage shows the colossal creature sauntering up to the vehicle before using its trunk like a catapult, launching the 46 year old Chaiwat into the air with shocking ease.

Miraculously, the only lasting damage was a bruised ego and sore ribs. Chaiwat was checked over at Pa Deng Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospital, where medics advised him to monitor his condition for 24 hours.

Officials are now urging tourists to remember: wild elephants may look majestic but they’re no selfie props.

Bob Scott

Bob Scott is an experienced writer and editor with a passion for travel. Born and raised in Newcastle, England, he spent more than 10 years in Asia. He worked as a sports writer in the north of England and London before relocating to Asia. Now he resides in Bangkok, Thailand, where he is the Editor-in-Chief for The Thaiger English News. With a vast amount of experience from living and writing abroad, Bob Scott is an expert on all things related to Asian culture and lifestyle.