Chiang Mai hills are alive with ploughing elephants

The hilltribe began ploughing their rice fields with elephants on Saturday, marking a century of this traditional farming technique in Om Koi district.

Tambon Nakia Administrative Organisation president Supathanit Rungreunglertpaisal confirmed that Skaw Karen – who call themselves Papakayor – had used elephants to plough fields for more than 100 years,

The practice has been revived for the past seven years at Ban Na Kian (Moo 3), to help conserve the unique tradition for younger generations, he added. He said the hilltribe used elephants rather than buffaloes because the village is located 1,800 metres above sea level where water is relatively scarce and the harder soil requires more muscle to break it up. Elephants, which were originally reared for logging and transporting produce, were thus drafted to plough the farmland.

Visitors to the sub-district this period can witness the tradition while also enjoying the natural and cultural riches of this hilltribe community, he added, while urging visitors to adhere to local customs for conservation of the environment.

Karen in Thailand are divided into four sub-groups: the Skaw or Sgaw (White Karen), the Pwo, and the less numerous Pa-O and Kayah.


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