Elephant village and cemetery in Surin province

Elephant village and cemetery in Surin province

Ban Ta Klang Elephant Village หมู่บ้านช้างบ้านตากลาง

Located at Ban Ta Klang, Krapho Sub-district, Tha Tum District, Surin Province. บ้านตากลาง ต.กระโพ อ.ท่าตูม จ.สุรินทร์
52 km by road north of Surin town, 20 km by car west of hwy 214 (Surin - Roi Et) from Nong Tat หนองตาด. 

Map of the area:

Erawan museum under construction:

Various other elephant related constructions and shrines:

Of course, there were life elephants as well (more than I have seen anytime before in my life):

May I draw my readers' attention to the elephant's penis that's almost touching the ground:

But I didn't go there for live elephants, I went for dead elephants! Elephant cemetery is here (under the trees) 

15°16'07.1"N 103°29'26.9"E = 15.268639, 103.490817 

Near Wat Pa Achiang วัดป่าอาเจียง.

Sign says: สุสานช้าง Elephant's Graveyard.

The dead elephants are first buried elsewhere, and after some years the bones are transferred to here. You can probably lift the lid (designed to look like a hat) to have a look (I didn't). Nearby is a pit which displays two skeletons:

There is a quality post on the village and graveyard here:
http://www.renegadetravels.com/elephant-graveyard-ban-ta-klang-elephant-village/

I went by van and got off on hwy 214 and hitchhiked to elephant village, from there hitchhiked to Buriram for return to Bangkok.

Checking pictures of timetables from Surin bus station, I found Surin - Krapho (50 Baht, 2 hours (?) travel time) at 8:40, 9:40, 11:30, 12:20, 13:20, 15:20, 17:00. And checking pictures of songtheo, I found blue songtheo line 4450 Surin - Chomphra - Krapho. From Krapho, it's less than 3 km to elephant village. Vans Surin - Satuek (Buriram province) go via Chumphonburi and do not pass elephant village.

Copyright 2015 ChristianPFC