Under the auspices of the TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand and the World Elephant Polo Association (WEPA), the 3th annual King's Cup Elephant Polo Tournament, organized by the Anantara Resort and Spa, will take place from 16 to 21 September 2003 on the "Som Dej Phra Suriyothai" military grounds of the 16th Infantry Division in Hua Hin Thailand.
Ten international teams will be competing for the King's Cup trophy in a 5-day event with teams from Thailand, Tiger Tops Nepal, Maharajah's Team India, Taprobane Sri Lanka, Kings Royal Hussars England, Mercedes Benz Germany, Tickle & the Ivories Singapore, Screwy Tuskers ladies team, Chivas Regal and Sandalford Australia.
Christopher E.Stafford, Resort General Manager and Tournament Organizer said "The spirit of this event is to raise awareness of Elephant Polo as a safe, enjoyable sport and at the same time to raise funds to support the difficult plight faced by these magnificent animals. The Thai Elephant Conservation Centre received Baht 381,000 (US$8700 approx) last year and it is hoped we can increase the proceeds this year."
The event will be attended by an FIO team including Richard Lair, Advisor and Foreign Affairs Officer at the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre, who has highlighted the plight of the Thai elephant reiterates that Thailand's 2500 domesticated Asian elephants are the only survivors from around 100,000 last century. The problem related to the well-being of Thai elephants is to ability to find suitable work so that their owners can keep them.
Major conservation projects undertaken by the Center include the Mahout Training School, two mobile veterinary clinics, an elephant hospital, the Elephant Art Project, where elephants actually paint, and the Thai Elephant Orchestra. Elephants are intelligent creatures and enjoy interacting with humans and learn new skills.
Elephant Polo was first played by Mogul Indian Kings and was reintroduced with a new twist in 1982 by an Englishman (Jim Edwards) and a Scotsman (James Mann-Clark). Since then the tournament has been played in Nepal and Sri Lanka.
The tournament in Thailand will be played with two teams of three Elephants with two chukkas of 10 minutes playing time each. The players will use specially made elongated polo sticks that are 78 to 110 inches in length, depending on the height of the Elephant, using regular polo balls.
Each Elephant carries a Polo Player and a Mahout. The Mahout directs the Elephant using his voice, hands, feet or a goad. The umpire of the game oversees the play from a wooden howdah on the back of the largest elephant.
The height of the elephants range from 2 to 2.5 meters, and they weigh between 2 to 2.8 ton each. They usually eat over 200 kilograms of food a day. The largest elephants are used in defense while the smaller ones with greater speed are used in attack.
The tournament will be held over five days on a specially prepared Elephant Polo terrain on the "Som Dej Phra Suriyothai" military fields of the 16th Infantry Division in Hua Hin, Thailand.
Prachuab Khiri Khan is the province of Thailand's lower central region, the gateway to the southern region of Thailand. If one looks at the map of Thailand, he can see that the Isthmus of Thailand is here in this province. It is also one of the important cities during the ancient time, but now it becomes famous in terms of its natural beauty in beaches and lush forest mountains.
The Beach Resort of Hua Hin
Hua Hin is one of the age-old resort sites of the country. It has been the place where several kings and royal members, including the present King, come for a retreat during the parching summer time. So, certainly, Hua Hin has the value of natural beauty, the atmosphere of serenity and privacy and the history. Just only 3 km north of Hua Hin downtown is situated the summer palace, Klai Kangwon Palace, the palace free of the anxiety. The palace was built I in Spanish architectural style by King Rama VI. Visitors can visit daily from 9 am to 4 pm with 20 baht admission fee for adults and 10 baht for children. It is closed when HM the King comes to reside there.
As for Hua Hin itself, the beach is a wide, long strap of white sand overlapped by the crystal clear water among the serenity. In town, besides the lively food market, one can stroll the historic Hua Hin Railway Station, built by King Rama VI.
Other attractions around Hua Hin are various. Most of them run along the shoreline further south of Hua Hin. Just only 9 km south of Hua Hin lies another secluded beach, Suan Son Pradiphat or the Sea Pine Tree Garden. The area belongs to the Army Welfare Office and open to the public. Next are two rugged mountains, Kao Krailas and Kao Takiap. Koa Tao, another hill, is located the huge Buddha image looking over to the sea. From Kao Takiap, tourists can catch a 45-min boat ride to go fishing offshore on Koh Singto, whose shape looks like a crouching lion. As for the inland attraction, Namtok Pa La-u, situated within a yearlong verdant forest, is the very scenic waterfall with 11 tiers of rocks. It provides a cooler shade among the singing of birds and the refreshing stream of water.
Accommodation in Hua Hin
As one of the top seaside resort towns, Hua Hin has plenty of accommodation for your choices. Myriad of bungalows, hotels and resorts are lining along the shore. One can choose as basic as 500 baht a night or as luxurious as 40,000 baht a night. For those hotels that tend to pamper you to the fullest are, for example, Chivasom, Hua Hin Mariott Resort, Anantara Resort and Spa and Hilton Hua Hin. Just check it out if you want to enjoy the serene beach among the most extravagant ambience.
Around Prachuab Khiri Khan
Besides Hua Hin, there are also numerous attractions around the province. One of them is Khao Sam Roi Yod National Park, which means mountain of 300 peaks. The best time to visit here is between November and February when numerous species of birds migrate to beaches in this area. Other recommended secluded beaches that beach lovers should visit are Ao Manao or Lemon Bay and Hat Wanakorn National Park. Some other islands not far from the shoreline such as Koh Talu, Koh Sang and Koh Sing, are also worth visiting to enjoy snorkeling, fishing, sailing and playing some other nautical activities.
Since some natural attractions here are taken care of by different organizations, it is recommended that tourists should check what organization to contact and reserve for the accommodation before heading to the places. For instance, advanced reservation is necessary for staying at Ao Manao, which is overseen by the Thai Air force.
