The Surin elephant round-up is an annual event which usually takes place over the third weekend in November. The elephant round-up has grown in popularity since it first began in the 1950s and nowadays thousands attend the event in Surin in north-east Thailand. For centuries, the Surin region has had an affinity with elephants. In olden times men from the area, particularly the Suay tribe, were highly skilled at capturing wild elephants and the animals were used for logging and heavy lifting work including constructing temples. The elephants were also trained to be used in battle and the mahouts (elephant handlers) from Surin were amongst the best in Siam.


www.thaizer.com/festivals/surin-elephant-round-up/