Flood evacuees look on in amazement as Yok
finishes his painting of His Majesty the King.
Patcharapol Panrak
Even elephants, it seems, know HM the King is
concerned about Thailand’s disastrous floods.
At a Nov. 24 field trip to Nong Nooch Tropical Garden
in Pattaya, 200 flood evacuees taking shelter at the Supreme Patriarch
Center on Aging watched as 8-year-old pachyderm Yok painted a drawing of
His Majesty and captioned it, “King worried about Thai floods” with its
tusks.
The exhibition was practice for Nong Nooch’s planned
Dec. 5 Father’s Day celebration, which will feature a parade of more
than 40 elephants. It was also the tourist attraction’s way to ease the
stress of those ousted from their homes in Bangkok and central Thailand
by floodwaters.
Nong Nooch Tropical Garden Director Kampol Tansanjja
said flood victims have faced an immense amount of emotional and
physical suffering and the garden wanted to do what it could to bring
them happiness. The evacuees’ free visit to the park also featured other
elephant performances.
Kampol said child evacuees were invited to return to
the park Dec. 5 for a free visit with their fathers.
