Pattaya: Chinese tour guide dead after tourist enrages elephant by pulling tail

A Chinese tour guide was killed by an elephant yesterday after a tourist “behaving badly” enraged an elephant at a Pattaya camp.

The 17 year old male elephant called Uthen was carrying two tourists on its back near a group of other tourists.

One of the tourists on the ground thought it was funny to pull its tail and it started charging, reported Siam Chon News.

Tour guide leader Mr He Yongjie was trying to get his clients clear of the elephant but was hit and kicked. He died at the scene and was covered in a white cloth.

One tourist was tossed off the elephant – another held on before mahout U Rungram managed to calm the elephant.

Two other people who fell in the melee were taken to hospital.

Sakda in charge of safety at the Sam Liam Thong Kham (Golden Triangle) Camp said that they tried to get the tourists on the ground to safety but there was a lot of them and in the confusion everyone ran in different directions.

The mahout blamed one of the tourists for bad behavior in pulling the tail of the elephant enraging it.

Huay Yai police are continuing their investigation.

Thai Visa / Siamchon News

Stay updated with Samui Times by following us on Facebook.