Don’t ride the Elephant’s when in Thailand as their handlers are known to feed them speed so they can work them longer hours.
Giving them your business only contributes to this abuse of these majestic creatures.
A large bull elephant can weigh up to 6 metric tons - that's sixty times as much as a large human male.
How much Speed would such an elephant have to be given to elicit a noticeable effect - maybe sixty times a normal dose for a human? - and how much would that cost the Mahout?
In short: The needle on my B.S. meter is jumping.
Regards,
The elephant has only one purpose in Thailand. If you take their usefulness away the Thais won’t be able to afford them and they’ll end up poached like the African elephants. Some times you need to leave well enough alone and let the locals handle their own business the way they see fit.
Yes they are exploited. And the ones who fail to make enough money from being exploited are dead. I'm guessing they would prefer to live.