Elephant crushing

The Phajaan (Thai: ผ่าจ้าน), called "elephant crushing" or "training crush", is a method by which wild baby elephants can be tamed for domestication, using restriction in a cage, sometimes with the use of corporal punishment or negative reinforcement.

[1] As reported in the 1999 UN Report Gone Astray, in Myanmar and Thailand the "training crush" method involves placing an elephant in a strong, large stall or cage, tied with ropes to keep the elephant from moving, including being unable to kick, raise or swing its head.

[2] As quoted in Gone Astray, a 1967 report on a training crush, "An elephant born in captivity is brought up amongst human beings and its training is humane from the day it begins, but a wild beast parted from the herd and its mother must suffer agonies before its will is broken.

Therefore, all of these elephants are being held captive solely for tourist attractions disregarding any negative welfare.

[3] Animal welfare advocates have called for better legislation and systems to document the origin of elephants in tourist camps and other locations across Thailand.